The Boy who Blocked his own Shot
by adagioredshift
Summary: When Itachi's thoughts go too far, his conflicted feelings lead him to rebel and take the confused Naruto along for the ride. Pursued by ally and enemy alike, the two explore emotions through nightmares in ways they never had before. ItaNaru.Mpreg.Rape.
1. To Sake and Felonies

Remake of chapter 1 that I kept promising you all, but never really getting around to do it. So I hope that you enjoy this, if you're willing to reread it that is. :U

Disclaimer: Why the hell would I be writing these if I was the owner of Naruto. Do I look Japanese to you? :|

Warnings: If you didn't read them already in the preview, here they are again. There will be yaoi. As in boy love. There will also (eventually) be some mpreg. If you don't like it, I'm not exactly sure how the hell you found my story.

There was a stillness about the air, an eerie hold over the normally bustling mornings that Naruto Uzumaki found himself accustomed to. Filtering the sunlight through his fingers, he flopped over in his bed, unaccustomed to its form. The strange, somewhat homely surroundings of the inn led him to suddenly remember what and where he was.  
"I…am training with Jiraiya. That's right…Ero-sennin."  
He felt disoriented. There was a slight haziness about his memories of the other night.  
The silence about the room alerted Naruto to realize his sudden loneliness. Jiraiya was nowhere to be found. Even more odd, was the sudden realization that something was not quite right about this "morning."

With great care, Naruto sat up from his soft bed, pain smacking him broadly in the face. Every part of him ached as if he'd been running miles, his muscles screaming for a reprieve that he was obviously not fit to deliver. The events of the night prior began to flood into his mind slowly, a vague echo through an opaque memory film.  
That was right…he had managed to convince Jiraiya to let him try sake. Somehow that had evolved.  
He would have to ask the old man about it later.  
"This Rasengan training is murder. My joints are as stiff as cardboard."  
Still half asleep, Naruto shuffled towards the window, drawing the curtains back with little hesitation.  
"What the-?"

An ochre sunset greeted him, the sunlight disappearing over the horizon, casting the last few morning rays over a sleepy town.  
Well, no wonder the morning had been so uncanny. It hadn't been morning at all!  
Annoyed, Naruto peered out at the retreating villagers, rapping a bare foot against the floor. The sound was subtle, but in an unoccupied room, it was enough to deter the blond from hearing his mentor enter the room.

"Awake finally! You know how long you've been asleep?"  
Naruto could have sworn to jump at least a mile at that moment. Whirling around, he clutched at his chest, feeling his heart bump against his ribcage.  
"You dick! Why didn't you wake me up! Then you come in here and scare the crap out of me!"  
The elder only laughed, tossing his charge a canister. Naruto caught the object and peered inside, catching a whiff of something tantalizingly delicious.  
Only then did he realize how hungry he was. He complained no more, seating himself at the low legged table situated in the room. Naruto did, however, notice the rather annoyed glance on Jiraiya's face at the lack of a "thank you." Smugly, he chalked it up to payback.  
"So how long was I asleep?"  
"All day I'd say. Amazing what a few drinks of sake will do to a kid. Although I have to say, I got quite an earful from Tsunade after she heard about it."  
Naruto looked up from his food, his cheeks stuffed with an undignified amount of food. "You mean that old hag you asked to be Hokage?"  
"The very same. Seems she didn't quite agree with it. 'Course, I have to agree with her. You shouldn't have snuck more of the sake. You got pretty dang drunk."  
"You shouldn't have given it to me then."  
"Touché. Well you are quite the heavyweight. When you get older, we'll have to drink together."  
Naruto grinned, matching his teacher's equally goofy expression. The moment was short lived however, as Jiraiya's face soon tightened. Inquisitively, the blond set his food container down. He wasn't quite following the elder man's motives.

"Tsunade is headed back to the village to claim her Hokage title in the morning with Shizune. And you're going with her."  
"What about you?"  
No response. Jiraiya simply stood against the wall, silent as stars.  
"You're leaving me? What about our training?"  
"Itachi and Kisame have been spotted around here. Those two are still after you no doubt. And you can remember our last encounter, I'm sure."  
Naruto remembered alright. Sasuke's tormented face, forever engraved into his mind.  
He'd never forget the ravenous look that came upon his comrade's features. It was haunting.  
"It's too dangerous for you to stick around. I barely managed to keep them from you last time."  
As much as Naruto may have been loathe to admit it, he knew Jiraiya was right. The two men were frighteningly strong, hardly enough for even one with the skill of a Sannin to hold them off. Naruto was little more than dead weight.

"Ahh, well, just be ready for tomorrow." Jiraiya explained, looking as jovial as he'd been when he first entered the room. Naruto looked further perplexed.  
"Don't worry kid! Just go with Tsunade and Shizune, and when I get the all clear, I'll come back for you. Deal?"  
Despite his teacher being a lecherous drunk, Naruto was sure that Jiraiya was a man of his word. He nodded once, prompting the man to take a seat beside his student with an exhausted slump.  
"That being said, I need you to do me a quick favor…"

"What a cheap piece of shit."  
The entire trip downstairs, he fumed, spouting enough profanities about the older man to make a sailor blush.  
"I can't believe he's making me go all the way down there, because he's too damn lazy to pick up his own damn wallet! Can't he see I'm still in pain from the other day!"  
Hardly able to keep the stiff achiness from his joints, Naruto winced and limped the whole trip down.

The pub's loud noises served only to aggravate his irritated condition, pounding at a headache that had started to form as the undoubtful result of last night's events that he could not remember.  
Lucky for him, the wallet was right where Jiraiya had promised it would be.  
Not like Naruto was about to go looking of course.

Successful in his task, the blond turned to leave. But something rooted him in place. Frozen eyes wide with horror, he watched as the very two men Jiraiya had been talking about, the very ones who had targeted him, entered the building he was in.  
Kyuubi hissed harshly in his ear, "**Hide boy! Hide before they see you!**"  
He did not disobey. With no other place to go in time, he darted underneath the table he had retrieved Jiraiya's wallet from, too frightened to curse the man.  
It was the worst thing he could have done.

Their footsteps drew closer, and for one fragile second, Naruto believed he'd been caught. However, the two merely slid into the table, their feet drawing up against the blond, who hugged against himself as tightly as he could.  
Time. Stood. Still.  
He could hear every murmur, however few they were. He heard them order tea, a feat that—he hoped—would not last long.  
He heard the waiter return with their small order, and their quick consumption. By the time he saw their legs begin to slide away from the table, he thought he had been home free.  
And then, light. It rained down on him, unfiltered by the barrier of table that had been there once before. Paralyzed, Naruto could only stare up at the fiery crimson eyes of the man who had been sent to capture him. The terrifying, bloodthirsty man.  
Itachi Uchiha.

He said nothing. His face remained masked by the massive collar of the hood. Whether he was surprised or pleased, the blond could not tell. He allowed himself a moment to glance around the restaurant, into the eyes of the other patrons who seemed oblivious.  
Genjutsu.  
The fish man however grinned, sharp, inhuman teeth a glaring contrast to his partner's indifferent behavior.  
"Well, well. What an intruiging stowaway. What should we do with him Itachi?"  
Naruto looked for something, anything, that resembled pity in the Uchiha's eyes. He found nothing. Nary a flicker of anything that could possibly be categorized as emotion. There was nothing he could do. Nowhere to run.  
Perhaps there was hope. A small, tiny flicker of the whim of the gods. He could possibly…maybe..

Before he could even think about moving, Itachi's hand swiftly landed a blow in his abdomen. Naruto felt the pain centralize around the man's fist, swiftly doubling over before losing himself.  
Effortlessly, Itachi hoisted his target over his shoulder, letting the blond's limb arms flop down his back. He placed a small amount of yen onto the table beside their empty cups, piquing Kisame's interest as they turned to leave.  
"A tip? That's quite unlike you."  
"The tea was good."  
And so the three disappeared. Two men, and a very unfortunate young boy. 


	2. What they wouldn't do

**I'm so sorry I'm slow in updating these things!! I'm just so lazy and that's the only excuse I can give without lying...sure I was sidetracked for a while but still...**

**Also..muses are taking a vacation for this chapter to give some announcement updates!!!!**

**The story will be ItaNaru mainly with some SasuNaru..I'm also planning a sequel with possible Mpreg...and this story will be a deathfic!! Just a warning...**

**Disclaimer: Yeah...all that copyright bullshit...damn...**

"Where is that brat?"

Jiraiya's spiky long white hairmoved slightly behind him as he impaitently paced around the room "I sent him over 15 minutes ago! No one takes that long to get a wallet!!"

"You sent him despite he was in pain right?"

He looked over at the busty woman beside him sitting on the bed arms folded, legs crossed. "I sent Shizune to go get him" Her long fingernails scratched the top of her pig's head and he let out a happy "Buwei..."

Jiraiya nodded "As far as we know he got distracted"

"Tsunade-sama!!"

Both eyes were on the frantic young woman who was panting heavily at the doorway

Tsunade got up looking at her apprentice "What is it Shizune?"

"Naruto-kun...he.."

"What? What happened to Naruto?"

"I went to the restaurant to get him, but he was missing!" Shizune pulled the wallet from her Kimono "The wallet is here!"

"So the brat got sidetracked?" Jiraiya asked sounding pissed his protege wasn't following his "Master's" Orders.

"No there's more...upon getting there, I realized the entire restaurant was trapped in a Genjutsu! When I released it no one had any recollection of Naruto-kun ever showing up!"

Tsunade stood up "What are you saying?"

"I think something has happened to Naruto-kun. Something bad..."

Jiraiys kicked the ground "Shit!"

"Take up to the restaurant!" Tsunade ordered. Shizune nodded and led the two out of the room

"Ugh..my stomach..."

The blonde slowly opened his eyes clutching his pained abdomen. For a minute he simply thought he had been kicked in his sleep. Im missions that always happened. But then he realized this was no mission. He bolted upright only to have waves of pain shoot up his sides and circulate throughout his body. He felt numb and let himself fall back to the ground. His eyes, wide and full of worry darted around the area. There was a small fire and a single figure sitting in front of it. Naruto knew immideately who it was. He could recognize that huge sword anywhere. The sword Samehada belonging to none other than Hoshigaki Kisame. Hmm...One...one man there..where was the other one!!??!

Naruto searched around, finding his body incapable of moving. He found a pair of blood red eyes with the black marks Naruto knew so well. 

"Uchiha...Itachi..." Naruto's lips trembled as the words rolled off of them. Itachi could send Naruto into a fit of shivers and fear with one glance, something not many could do to the strong willed boy. The staredown continued for several minutes until Kisame spoke

"Itachi, you're not thinking of letting him free are you?" He asked eyeing his partner suspiciously.

"He wont run away..."

"You seem so sure of it...I dont trust the little monster..." 

Despite what his partner said Itachi released the paralysis on the boy. Naruto immideately got up and stared Itachi down. He gave him a glare like no one has ever seen, but he didnt run away. He knew he'd die immideately.

"Wise choice..." Kisame said walking up to the blonde and flicking a finger at a strage collar on his neck "This thing wouldn't let you"

Naruto felt the device and began to try to tug it off. It sparked red and a painful electric shock pulsed throughout his system paralyzing him momentarily. Itachi pulled out a remote like device from his cloak.

"The power of the shock is from 1 to 10. I have it on 7 right now. Don't make me raise the power"

Naruto held his arm. If that was only 7 he'd hate to see 10.

"And it also serves as an invisible leash. If you get more then 300 meters away from me it will instantly send shockwaves throughout your body. You will not survive."

Naruto shivered. These guys really went all out.

"Luckily for you we're are currently doing a demon extraction. These are merley fake bodies." Kisame explained with a sly grin on his face

"Kisame you didnt have to tell him that"

"I just wanted him to know he had a few more days to live."

Naruto gulped "Live?"

"You don't know? After we extract that demon out of you, you will die" 

A warm chill went up Naruto's spine. His hand moved to the seal on his stomach "D-die?!"

"Yup...be happy that you can live" Kisame said

Naruto shook his head. He refused to do this. He tugged and tugged at the device until the pain from the electric shocks knocked him out.

"I told you he's take it badly..." Itachi said shaking his head at Kisame

**To be continued...**


	3. Silence

**OMFG Has it not been ages since I updated? I AM SO FUCKING SORRY!!! School has been biting at my ass RELENTLESSLY!!! But all I can say is that I AM BACK!!!  
I've also become a much better writer I think...looking back on my previous submissons they look like crap .. In any case, you might notice the change halfway through this chapter since I kinda haven't opened this file since July sigh AAANNNYYYYWAYYYY I hope I was missed! And no worries, I wouldn't DREAM of discontinuing anything!!  
You know what needs? A section where you can post original stories...that's what we need!! Of course I'd have to copyright my characters first .. Then you could all meet my little Malice!! Lmao he's the cutest little kitty boy ever!**

Shizune quickly led them to the restaurant in whichshe claimed that the blond met his unfortunate moment. As soon as they walked in, the feeling of a Genjutsu washed over them. That type of a feeling in which you stand up with a splitting migrane. Almost eveyone hated that. Tsunade pressed her fingers to make a seal. 

"Kai!" She shouted. Immideately, the aura around them dissapated. The people continued to eat like nothing was wrong, unable to sense the change. 

"Excuse me...how many?" The waiter who had served them before walked up to them. He recognized them from before, but guessed they had good reason for being there twice.

"Did a little blond boy walk by here? Bright orange jumpsuit, and blue eyes? A little on the short side?" Tsunade acted like she was playing charades as she described the boy.

The man took a minute to take in the information that the busty hokage to be told him. He shook his head sadly "I saw him come in a while ago, but I didnt see him leave...now that you mention it, so are those two..." 

The group looked at each other "Those two?"

"Yes...two men..odd looking fellows...I wasnt able to see their faces though, they wore straw hats with these extensions, and robes that totally covered them.

"No way.." Jiraiya almost upchucked his dinner, and Shizune turned about six shades of green.

"What did the robes look like?" Tsunade asked, being the only one able to talk straight

"Black...with these red clouds..."

"They didn't..." Tsunade punched the table beside her, causing a chunk of it to hit the floor with a loud thud. The impact made the entire restaurant silence and stare at them

"Tsunade-sama...let's go" Shizune said as she tugged on the woman's jacket sleeve. The short haired women had to practically drag the fuming woman outside with her.

"What the fuck do we do now!?" Tsunade bellowed angrily. 

Jiraiya pulled out a cup of sake and poured himself a rather large cup. He looked at it for a minute and offered it to the woman. "We both need something really stong to calm us down, and clear our minds."

Tsunade looked at him like she was ready to destroy him, but took the cup and downed it in one swig. The perverted toad hermit simply drank the rest of the bottle. He needed something REALLY strong now.

"We have to find Naruto-kun!" Shizune said

"We have no leads! Does this look like a wild fucking goose chase to you!?" Tsunade snapped.

"Calm down Tsunade! I know that this is bad but being so angry will not help!"

"You're one to talk! If you werent so fucking lazy then this wouldnt have happened!"

"None of us would have known!" 

The two sannin stared at each other, both ready to lunge at each other's throats. It had never been this bad between them

"Stop!!" Shizune wedged herself between them and forced them apart before one of them ended up dead "This solves nothing! Swallow your pride and help me find Naruto or stand aside!"

Jiraiya looked at her for a minute and chuckled as he closed his eyes "Your apprentice had a point Tsunade...we shouldn't be fighting ourselves...save your anger for the Akatsuki"

"Alright...but this isnt over Jiraiya" Tsunade said clenching her fists though she was smiling

"I am well aware" He replied "Very well Shizune, what is your plan?"

The woman smiled as she held up TonTon, Tsunade's pet pig "He can help us!" She placed the pig on the ground and looked at him "TonTon...can you trace Naruto-kun's scent?"

"Buwei..." The pig sniffed the ground a bit, and looked up with a triumphant smile "Buwei, buwei!!" He said as he ran off. Shizune looked at the two Sannin with a triumphant smile, than followed the small pink pig

"Let's follow" Jiraiya ran after Shizune, followed by Tsunade

----------------------------------------------------------------------

"Ugh...my head..again.." Naruto sighed and scratched his head, looking around. He could see exactly where he was, and he was moving.  
It took a while to adjust his vision, but he saw he was in the arms of the stoic and silent Uchiha. Next to him, his partner Kisame, looked at Naruto with his creepy fish eyes

"He finally awakens..." 

Naruto began to thrash about "Let me go! Let me go damn it!!" He shouted

Itachi shrugged and removed his hands from under Naruto, sending him skidding to the ground with a thud 

"Ow! Not like that ya asshole!!"

"You said you wanted to be let go..." 

Naruto glared up at the man who looked back down, Sharingan eyes blazing. The fox container immideately looked away. He knew looking into those eyes caused trouble. He didnt need anyone to tell him that.

"I didnt mean that was asshole..."

Kisame chuckled "Well get up fox...we have a long way to go..."

Naruto didnt want to. He wanted to just go home and hide under the covers. He knew he couldn't and that collar around his neck was proof. He was their bitch, their dog, sentenced to death soon enough.

_"Why did I listen to Ero Sennin...stupid lazy bastard, its his fault I'm stuck like this!"_

A shock sent to his system from the fish man, was enough to snap Naruto out of his thoughts, and reluctantly trudge after the two Akatsuki members. Some time after he had awakened, Itachi stopped.

"What's wrong Itachi?" Kisame questioned 

"We're spending the night here..." The eldest Uchiha stated simply

Kisame laid his sword by a tree and sat down next to it, Itachi doing the same, leaving the kyuubi holder the last one standing. He folded his arms and stubbornly crashed next to a tree, looking at the two members.

_"Why is it taking so long for us to get to their stupid hideout? If they're as skilled as I thought, we'd be there already..."  
_

His eyes darted to Itachi, who was content in sleeping..or so it seemed. Every so often, his eyes would open slightly only to close again. Kisame was already crashed and asleep.

_"Wow...that guy sleeps easy..." _

The blond looked at Kisame, then Itachi, then back to Kisame before his eyes rested upon Samehada. Kisame's sword...perfect. If Naruto could get ahold of that, then he might be able to take the two by surprise. He got up and tiptoed over to the fish boy. His heart raced, and his body was pumping with adrenaline, but he didnt care. He wanted that sword if it was the last thing he did.

Naruto reached out a hand carefully, and grabbed the hilt. 

_"Man This thing is heavy!!" _

After several failed attempts to lift the sword, Naruto leaned on it, getting some rest. Spikes protruded from the hilt of the sword, lodging themselves into Naruto's hand. The blond immideately withdrew his hand and held it, doing his best to not leave bloody tracks on the ground.

_"I should've known it was too good to be true..." _

Naruto felt tears come to his eyes. It was all a hopeless effort. All for nothing. Blood ran down his sleeve and soaked the elbow of his shirt.

"That was foolish..."

The blond snapped back to attention and whirled around. Itachi was staring right at him with a smirk. Had he been watching this whole time?

"What do you care!?" The rambunctious boy snapped. "Go ahead and shock me!"

The Uchiha stared at Naruto with a coldness that made Gaara look like a turkey. He was even worse off than Sasuke! Coldness obviously ran in that family.  
Itachi stood up and slowly walked over to him. The blond jiinchuuriki immideately withdrew, expecting a good, strong shock.   
What he got instead was his bloody hand yanked away from him. Slowly, he opened his eyes to see Itachi wrapping his hand up.

"Wh-what are you?"

"I'm not going to shock you..."

He contined to wrap it up until Naruto was crartain the bleeding had stopped. Then the Uchiha bent over and bit the edge, tearing the sticky tape off. when he released his grip, even only slightly, Naruto pulled away and grabbed his hand

"What'd you do?!"

"Nothing...I bandaged your wound thats all..."

"Yeah right! You probably drugged the bandage to put me to sleep!"

"If I did you'd be asleep already...'

Naruto gulped. Itachi had a point no matter how many times he denied it. He clenched his fists and sighed, then watched the Uchiha walk away, his azure orbs transfixed intently on the cloud design on his back. When the older male sat on the ground, Naruto couldn't help but watch him...

"Oye...Itachi...I'm curious..."

Itachi looked up at the sound of his name being called and stared at the blond for a moment, his stone cold glare chilling Naruto to the bone.  
No response, Naruto took it as Itachi-speak for "Get on with it I don't have all day"

"W-Well..." The blond began, twirling his fingers around in a manner much like the Hyuuga Heiress did. Naruto took note of this and mentally laughed. If only they could see him now, cut down in his prime. Swallowing the lump in his throat, Naruto's voice became clearer and more audible, the rugged sensation carried across the forest by the hollow and serenity of the forests.  
"I know you have the ability to easily transport from one place to another...why are we just standing here and bumbling along at such a slow pace!? Even I'm anxious to-"

Before he could finish the sentence, Itachi had silently slid behind Naruto and placed a cold, pale hand over his lips, silencing the blond. Shivers ran through Naruto's body, and his mind screamed at his defiant limbs to get away.

"Naruto-kun...if you value your life...you will never question my intentions again..." He said, his voice ringing like sweet poison through Naruto's mind. Unable to do anything else, he simply managed a nod which seemed to amuse Itachi. A twisted smirk came upon his thin lips, and he leaned foward, gently kissing Naruto.  
His eyes widened at the sudden intrusion, but to him, the kiss was like pure morphine. His entire body fell limp, and his eyelids grew heavy. More than anything, Naruto wanted to sleep. A small moan escaped his body as he clutched tightly onto Itachi's chest, shivering.  
Even further was Itachi amused. All it took was one kiss to captivate him? His body had become quite lewd...

_"Go to sleep Naruto-kun...I can see you want it..."_

Too tired to argue, Naruto simply nodded off, his head slumping against the Uchiha and his labored breathing slowing to a more steady pace. Itachi once again leaned against the tree, holding the silent Naruto in his arms. He was so diffirent when he was asleep...so still and quiet...it was almost unlike him...  
"Sleep tight Naruto-kun..." Itachi said with a smirk, closing his own eyelids

**TBC!!!**


	4. Light a fire under me

So...I'm sure you all want to slaughter me after my absence...;; I'm real sorry guys...got shot down in my prime by life...you know how it all bites us in the ass...don't deny it...lmao.

Uhh...so I know I should do this more but I'm totally lazy n whatnots...blargh.

**Summary:** You should know by now o 3o...the Akatsuki kidnaps Naruto and blah  
**Pairings: **ItaNaru, slight SasuNaru, one sided KisaIta...more pairings might come.**  
Warnings: **What is yaoi without kinky sex? Gimmie a break guys! Oh...and there'll be some mpreg later...much later . **  
Disclaimer: **I shouldn't have to type this...it hurts my heart...TT

--

Sleep proved to be a wonderful--though forceful--thing for Naruto. It'd felt like an eternity, and the cotton-headed feeling that coated the inside of his mind was nothing short of a nirvana to him. Images unfolded within his subconcious, painting the blank canvas of his dreams. Things were vivid, colorful. So convincing, so emotional...that Naruto could almost vouch for it being reality.  
Those thoughts were shattered of course...by the sudden shock, coarsing through his very veins. The blond fox awoke with a cry, digging his nails so sharply into the dirt, the scent of his blood wafted through his senses.

"Wake up fox...we have a long way to go."  
Such a barkingly commanding tone could only belong to one person. Shooting a scathing look toward the fish man, Naruto attempted to rise, only brought pain by his aching muscles, tender from the horrid elecric shock.  
"Huh...a little shock and you can't even stand? Pathetic...you call yourself a shinobi?"

Naruto attempted to open his mouth, wanting to let loose the deluge of words he had packed away for Kisame. It was simply impossible to explain how much the fox hated that fish man. It'd leave even someone as loud mouthed as Kisame silent if Naruto was ever able to voice his opinion.  
Which would be option number one...if he could free himself from the electrified contraption around his neck.

"You overdid it Kisame...the boy is exhausted."  
For reasons he couldn't (and refused to) explain, Naruto felt his body flutter upon hearing Itachi's melodic voice. It was diffirent from last night's however. This voice was cold...uncaring. The voice Naruto heard...when only they were concious...was thick enough to run through his veins and coat him completely with a shiveringly pleasent sensation.  
He'd never felt anything like it before...it frightened him...but yet fascinated him.

"Not my problem...if he can't walk then you carry him."  
Saying nothing in responce to the retreating fish, Itachi silently strode over to Naruto's limp body and lifted it bridal style into his arms.  
Naruto let out a small noise at this, and his cerulean oculars fluttered over toward the Uchiha, catching the slightest glimpse of mouth muscles twitching.  
Before Naruto was able to recollect himself enough to speak of it, Itachi had began walking towards his partner.  
"Just relax.." He cooed, sending shivers down Naruto's spine. "You'll be able to move again in a bit."  
And since the blond had nothing else to do but believe the elder Uchiha, Naruto simply let fatigue catch with him once again, and fell into a deep, peaceful slumber.

--

"The tracks lead up to here."  
The three pursing shinobi slid to a halt, sighing remorsefully when Tsunade's pig glanced at them with a hopeless expression. Clenching her fist, the sannin release her pent up anger on a nearby tree, splintering and cracking the bark until it tumbled in a loud, crashing heap on the floor.  
Neither Jiraiya, nor Shizune thought of any reason to counter this outburst.

"What now...do we...do we lose?"  
"Of course not! We can't let them win Shizune. Now that they have Naruto in their grasp, this has become an extreme emergency. We must return to Konoha and inform the elders...and then I will take position and responsibility as Hokage."  
"Let's hope we can mount a counterattack before those punks decide to extract Kyuubi.."

Sighing under his breath, Jiraiya brushed a hand across the bottom of his eye, preventing the tears from rolling down his painted cheeks.  
_"You're an old man Jiraiya...you don't have time to be crying.."_  
"Jiraiya...we don't have time to waste mourning. We might still have a chance...let's move."

Nodding and turning to face his sannin partner, the three shinobi dashed foward into the foliage, leaving the tattered forest remains behind them.

--

Nightfall had settled by the time Naruto had finally awakened, and this time, he found himself beside yet another campfire. Instead of cold dirt however, Naruto's head was cushioned by something firm, warm, and soothing, and his body was draped in a warm cloth.  
"Awake at last."

That warm, honey-thick voice again. Naruto nuzzled the warm surface again and purred, opening his eyes slightly. The energy was once again back in his limbs, and the blond pushed himself onto his arms, yelping when he saw Itachi's face.  
"Aah!" He cried, falling back on his ass and trembling. The Akatsuki robe draped on his shoulders slid to the ground, revealing a surprisingly unclothed upper body.  
"M-my clothes!"  
"Relax...I only took your shirt off. You were sweating with a fever before...I kept you cool. You're of no use to us if you die."  
"B-bastard.."

Smirking, Itachi gripped Naruto's cheeks firmly in his hand, forcing the blond to stare into his charcoal hues. Naruto trembled, trying desperately to pull away, but this endeavor only supurned a harsher grip from the raven.  
"O-ow...that hurts.."  
"I'm sorry...allow me to fix that."  
Silencing Naruto's grunts of protest, Itachi pressed his lips fiercely against Naruto's. The blond tried desperately to pull him off, but fever was still present in his tiny body, rendering Naruto utterly useless. Quickly, the Uchiha pulled back and gazed down at the fox, amused by his reaction.  
"Mm...you're so cute Naruto...play with me." He purred, kissing Naruto again, muffling any screams the blond may have wanted to let out for salvation.

--

Ita rapes Naru o wo lmao...no this isn't where he gets preggers...just in case peoples is wondering...this story ish not centered around Naruto's pregnancy juuust yet.

Anyways...I hope everyone liked this chapter...took me a while lol.


	5. Impossibilities unfold

Whoop! I actually started working on this chapter as soon as I finished chp 4 of this story...so if I never update until like a year from now again..here's my etched in stone proof XD.  
Uhh...so yeah...I hope people enjoyed the last chapter. I'm kind of on a roll for this story more than Opposites Attract...but since that story is so much more popular than this one...I don't know XD I'm kind of eager to get through this one without rushing the quality...since I have everything down to the sequel all figured out.

Gah...it's been a while since I've done a real good sex scene that wasn't surrounded by asterisks...so forgive me if the detail is a bit rusty..

**Summary:** You should know by now o 3o...the Akatsuki kidnaps Naruto and blah  
**Pairings: **ItaNaru, slight SasuNaru, one sided KisaIta...more pairings might come.**  
Warnings: **What is yaoi without kinky sex? Gimmie a break guys! Oh...and there'll be some mpreg later...much later . **  
Disclaimer: **I shouldn't have to type this...it hurts my heart...TT

--

"I-Itachi..."  
Naruto pulled back from the kiss just enough to breathe, shocking the Uchiha. Letting his emotionless facade return to his pallid features, he allowed himself to gaze upon Naruto's face for a split moment.  
"P-please..I don't understand...I-"  
Placing a finger to Naruto's quivering lips, Itachi silenced him.  
"Shh..you wont understand it right now Naruto-kun...just be quiet like a good boy...or I will shock you..ok?"

The Uchiha smirked, grabbing hold of Naruto's headband and tying the fabric tightly around his small wrists. The metal plating dug into his tender flesh, letting blood drip down his arms and dot the ground in erratic patterns. Mewling in protest, Naruto attempted to break free, but the elder proved much too strong for him. With a swift movement, Itachi's lips were pressed against Naruto's again, sliding his tounge into the blond fox's mouth, ravishing it hungrily. Alabaster fingers slid up his bare chest, pinching and teasing his nipples, making the skin hard.

Tears slid down Naruto's eyes, and his body instinctively jerked, doing anything it could to free itself. Too physically exhausted, but mentally aware, Naruto watched in horror and fear as Itachi's body pressed itself against his, fitting contour with contour, until it was as if they were two perfectly fitted puzzle pieces.  
That alone was enough to send Naruto wild.  
Keeping Naruto's tounge quiet with his own, the Uchiha teasingly ran his hand down to the blond's groin, dipping his hand down into his pants. Naruto immideately bucked his hips and moaned in protest, turning more erotic as Itachi gripped his throbbing erection.

Dear _God_...he **wanted** it. No matter how much he'd try to deny it...deep within his mind, perhaps in the most twisted masochistic corner, Naruto wanted it. And that small want was growing, fluttering butterflies in his stomach spreading throughout his body, tingling his senses, chilling him. Itachi sensed this, and that reaction only egged him on further. Pulling back from the kiss, he nibbled teasingly on Naruto's lower lip, running his lips ever so gently across the blond's tanned skin. Tracing his jawbone, collarbone, or any other curve he could find, Itachi nipped the skin gently, yet firmly enough to leave wet, red marks all over his neck.

He almost felt horrible...tainting his innocence, and in such a manner as this. The blond's face was welled up with tears, submission and defeat overpowering the anxiety and fury. He knew Naruto was no match for him...fevered or full health...and apparently...the blond was wise enough to see that himself.

"Mm...you're such a good boy Naruto...I'm going to give you a little treat."  
"Nh...t-treat?"  
"Yes..but you have to be a good boy...promise you'll be good for me...okay?" The raven gave Naruto's cock a firm squeeze, causing him to mewl out unconciously, biting down on his lip soon after. Tentatively, he glanced in the Uchiha's direction and nodded, attempting to stop the tears from flowing any further.

Itachi's tounge danced along the blond's skin, nibbling at his nipples and tugging them teasingly. Each tug got Naruto arching his back, deeply pleasing the Uchiha. He loved how just the slightest touch got Naruto begging...even though he'd never wanted it.  
_"I'm a sick monster..I've already accepted my fate for this sin."_

Kissing down Naruto's stomach, Itachi dipped his tounge into his naval, licking and carefully teasing spots that got the blond squirming with need. All the while, he could see Naruto crying, begging for him to stop. It wasn't normal...not right.  
He was just too afraid to scream.

"Don't be so afraid...I'll be gentle." He cooed, pulling Naruto's pants and boxers down to his knees.  
That voice...that damned voice. Naruto could be persuaded in any manner with that voice. Nevermind the fact he was being raped...it all drained from his mind.  
Unconsensual sex or not...he was strangely safe there...at least in Itachi's embrace.

Slowly, the raven ran his tounge across the tip of Naruto's erection, spurning the muted, yet erotic responce he wanted. Smiling to himself, his tounge ran deeper down the shaft, nipping at the skin of the base. Playing hungrily, Itachi teased the blond's entrance with his finger before pushing it deeply into the hole, moving it around.  
It was too much pleasure for even Naruto to take. The blond began to plead once again, sobbing almost uncontrollably.  
"A-ah! P-please...I'll do a-anything...Itachi..."  
"Shh..."

Itachi pulled his finger from Naruto and sighed gently, tearing a strip of his shirt off and tying it around Naruto's mouth. A crude device, but effective. The blond's moans were immideately silented. His cerulean eyes shimmered with fear, staring daggers of hatred and desperation toward the Uchiha.  
"Hehe...your eyes look lovely tonight."

Turning his attention back to the blond, Itachi pushed his finger deep inside the blond, moving it around and allowing Naruto to moan in any manner he wanted. A second finger followed, and soon, a third, until Naruto had sprayed his release into the Uchiha's waiting mouth.  
"Mm...delicious Naruto-kun."  
Not giving Naruto a chance to respond, Itachi continued to stretch Naruto's virginal entrance, pulling his fingers out and quickly burying himself within the blond.

Through the fabric, Naruto let out a ragged scream, almost as loud as his cries had previously been. The Uchiha moaned out in pleasure, pulling out and slamming into the blond again and again.  
"Nh..such a tight little virgin." He cooed, grinding down against the blond with each thrust. Yes, he was raping Naruto...but Itachi was doing his best to make the experience pleasurable and sensual for the boy. The male was yet figuring out himself what'd brought on his sudden outburst...his sudden need to bury himself in the blond.  
Granted, Naruto was innocent...but for the majority of his life...Itachi had remained asexual. How could one blond boy...an enemy...who he'd barely known...captivate him so effortlessly?

The thought had plagued Itachi's thoughts so much, that he'd hardly noticed his own release shoot into the blond. Sitting there for a few moments, Itachi pulled his flaccid member from Naruto and draped his cloak over the shaking blond.  
Naruto immideately flinched. Itachi expected this but...it had still hurt him somehow. Biting his lip to keep words from spilling, he undid the bounds that held Naruto and left the blond there, sobbing and shivering in a naked, crumpled heap.

"I'm sorry..." He whispered, letting the now blood covered headband fall onto the floor beside Naruto.


	6. Feeling Hopeless

It had taken what seemed like years for Naruto to leave the spot he was frozen to. Each time his mind commanded his muscles to move, the steep soreness that encompassed his body served as a bitter reminder of the previous night's events, causing him another silent spill of tears.  
Afterwards, he'd felt quite sick and even more tired than he had been. Not once had the blond dared to open his eyes, for fear at spotting his cruel assailant.  
- _And yet he apologized_ -  
What had truly bothered Naruto wasn't the action, but the look in Itachi's eyes. He'd never seen more self-loathing concentrated in a pained gaze than in the Uchiha's eyes.  
- _He hated himself for what he did to me_ -

"It was still no excuse.." Naruto muttered to himself.  
Hours of debate over the topic rested in his mind, settling to a splitting headache for the blond. With his body aching in places he never thought existed and his mind a conflicted mess, he found himself wondering how--by the time he'd finally taken off the cloak and gotten a look around--he'd stayed insane.

Shivering as the cold air hit his naked body, Naruto let the cloak slide down to his lap, checking his surroundings like a careful preyed upon beast. Much to his surprise, he found his clothes; washed, cleaned, and neatly folded beside him. The area in which they had set up camp was also suspiciously empty. Grabbing at his clothes and dashing behind the cover of foliage, Naruto dressed and looked around himself self-conciously. If not for the embarassment of being naked outdoors, then for the fear that somewhere, the Uchiha's preditorial eyes were watching him.

- _Where is everyone?_ -

Once safely clothed, Naruto began searching for the headband that was missing from his wardrobe. The memory of it brought shivers down his spine, though the item was especially precious to him. He could never sacrifice something that the first man who'd shown him kindness had given him. It was more precious than his own life...and if he had to live with the memory of it's signifying rape, than he would simply curb those disturbing memories with the ones of his childhood.  
**You are truly an unorthodox child. The object is truly a terror for you now...why are you so insistant on possessing it still?**  
Naruto flinched in place. The occurences where Kyuubi's deep voice boomed and echoed in his mind were rare, so much so that the blond would occasionally jump from shock. A factor that the sadistic Kyuubi loved.

- _It's important. It's from Iruka-sensei. I can't just leave it behind because of this...it'd crush him if he knew what it was reduced to.._ -  
**Child...there are times when it is alright to think of yourself first..  
**Naruto ignored Kyuubi, despite the creature's worried tone. He envisioned a bottle of warm sake, and how the adults around him consumed it to ward off their troubles.  
- _I could use a bottle of it..._ -

Naruto had searched the empty clearing for hours. Not only that, he was searching for Itachi and his partner. Why had they left without him? The odd shock collar they used to coerce him was still tightly locked around his neck.  
A trap perhaps? Were they watching to see if he would attempt escape, and swiftly punish him for a cruel entertainment?  
The blond hissed at the surrounding foliage and gestured rudely toward them.  
"Go fuck yourselves! Both of you!!"  
The strength of his words came merely through pride, for immideately after he had regretted it. Itachi was a powerful and bold man. He could easily have Naruto in the same situation as the night prior.  
A shiver crawled its way down his spine, and he leaned back against a tree for support. He would wait. He would prove to both members that he was no fool and would wait.

He waited until the skies were a deep ochre red, and the borderline of trees appeared black. It was a cold and brutal night, one of the worst Naruto could ever remember. He curled up tightly in the sleeping bag and listened to the growling of his angry stomach. Perhaps if he was lucky...he could go to the river nearby and catch a fish...roast it up at the fire. His mouth watered just from the thought. Before he could make any action toward it however, a movement from his periphreal view caught his eye.  
"You're still here?"  
The voice was unmistakeable. It was urgent, but thick, and coated Naruto in a blanket of warmth and fear all at once. For a moment, Naruto began to fear he was coming down with Stolkholm's Syndrome.  
Wincing when Itachi grabbed his shoulder, the blond deliberately glanced to the other side nervously. Not speaking or moving, he wondered what it was the raven wanted.

"You're free. Get out of here."  
A swift movement on Itachi's part, and the collar around Naruto fell to the dirt with a clatter. Shocked, the blond ran his hands over his now free neck, staring into the eyes of the one who'd freed him.  
"Go. I can't keep Kisame distracted forever. He thinks you've ran into the nearest westward town and he's looking for you there but I can't keep him there. Now go while you have a chance!!"

Slowly the blond stood up, giving one last glance at Itachi. He sensed anxiety and awareness, but most of all self-loathing. The look in his eyes, the shame, it still lingered. He wondered if he could ever bring himself to look at him again.  
He began to run, as quickly as his legs would take him. He ran at a blinding speed, fueled by the power of Kyuubi who was just as eager to get its host out of the woods. Without looking back once, Naruto ran without stopping. In the darkest cover of night he approached Konoha's gates, out of breath and exhausted. To his surprise, the people in the village were overjoyed to see him. Word had gotten to them thay Naruto had been kidnapped, and things were in an influx of panic. At the head of this crowd was Sakura, embracing Naruto in a motherly hug, and crying joyfully.  
"Oh Naruto...I thought it would be the end of you.." She sobbed into his shoulder, leaving a bewildered blond to comfort her.  
"Where's Jiraiya-sama and the others?" The cherry blossom questioned, looking at the void that was the forest outside Konoha and seeing no one.  
"They didn't save me if that's what you're thinking. I managed to get away. I have no idea where they are...they might even be looking for me."

The closest group of people to him were silent as the blond explained his story, nodding in agreement at some parts.  
"I suggest we get a team to go after them and tell them the news!" A shinobi replied, his voice booming loudly over the crowd. Everyone appeared to agree and the work began.  
"Naruto...you're tired. Why don't you go back home and rest for a while?"  
The blond didn't want to, but at the moment Sakura's offer had been heavenly to him. Silently nodding, Naruto trodded all the way to his lonely apartment home and quickly sunk into a warm and steaming bath. Shuddering at the thought of two nights ago, Naruto began to scrub away at his skin, hoping that at least some of the filthy feeling would subside. The smells, the sensations, they lingered, imprinted in his very bones. He scrubbed until the skin was raw, and burned from the slightest touch, and even then he felt dirty. With a sigh, Naruto drained the bathtub and stared into the mirror. His hair was longer, tousled in every direction. There was no headband to pull it back...Naruto had never found that. Sooner or later, he would have to confront Iruka about it.  
His eyes were dull and listless. What once sparkled with opportunity were now glazed over and stone cold slate. Naruto stared for what seemed like an eternity, the only noise in the room being his ragged breathing and the water dripping from his body. He only tore from the mirror when a knock boomed at his door. Wrapping a robe around his naked body, Naruto made his way to the entrance and opened it, only to find Sasuke standing there.  
He gulped mentally. Sasuke was so....identical to Itachi. In every way.  
"What is it Sasuke?"  
"I heard my brother got his dirty hands on you.."  
The blond flinched when the Uchiha leaned closer, instinctively taking a step back.  
"W-well...yes...but I'm alright!"  
"I know my brother Naruto...did he do anything at all to you?"  
Naruto bit into his lip, tearing the soft flesh with his sharp incisors. He couldn't tell Sasuke...the Uchiha would risk his life to kill Itachi. Though he feared it was all readable in his eyes.  
"No! Of course not! If you mean what I think I mean! We're both males ne? Itachi's not like that! I have some ramen cooking so I have to go now! Bye Sasuke!"  
Nearly slamming the door in Sasuke's face, the raven sighed on the other side and began to walk away. He saw the look in Naruto's eyes when he'd mentioned his brother, and even merely at the sight of him. Frustrated, the Uchiha punched a wall and growled.  
"Damn it dead last...why won't you open up to me? Am I not strong enough to rely on??"

End of this chapter!!

Yah...I can't stand 1st part Sakura but I don't really see her as huge evil bitch!Sakura this late in the series.


	7. What time did to me

Bahahaha....someone shoot me. It's taken years for me to update yet again. I'm not gonna lie, my Naruto fandom is in the crapper. Recently my new favorite yaoi obsession is actually a real life gay couple lol. My friend Devon and his boyfriend Adam are every yaoi fangirl's dream. They're both gorgeous and adorable together. I even got their permission to start writing fanfictions of them! ^^ I am so exited. It's a shame has no sections for original work. I might post it up on deviantart if anyone's interested in reading.

Anyways, without further ado, here's the new chapter of Good Measure. (Notice this is like the only story I update now? lmao)

btw this is now post-timeskip

oooooooooooooooooooooo

It had been two years. He remembered it like it was yesterday, each scene playing in his head through recurring nightmares and dreams. The return of the search party and the crowning of the new hokage, Sasuke's defection from the village, that time away from home training with Jiraiya. That betrayal deeply wounded him, scarring his mind beyond the point of all salvation. Ever since that day, Naruto's skepticism had grown. He began to question the legitimacy of everything around him, unable to trust. The one boy who he had placed everything in, whom he had planned to tell _that very day_ about his encounter with the elder Uchiha. He was gone, and there was nothing left. And in Naruto's eyes, the rest of the world could be guilty just like him.

People could see from afar that there was something different about him. The village that had slowly warmed to the unique boy began to once again shrink from him, fearing instead the malevolant despair that emanated from the boy. Their looks were not of hatred but of clueless empathy and pity. They wanted to help, but how could they? None were Sasuke, and their words could do little more than place a paper towel over a gash. The bloody deluge of his feelings remained ever flowing.

Sighing and fluttering his eyes open, the blond slowly rose from his bed and watched the sun pour in through the wooden blinds. For once in nearly 16 years, Naruto could see his floor, completely clean and devoid of empty ramen cups or other junk. He continued to stare at the empty floor, cracking the faintest hint of a smile. One day he had suddenly realized what a slob he was, and changed it. All of his friends had nearly fainted with the shock of being able to walk through Naruto's floor. Since that day, he had been immaculate.  
It was the least he could do to make up for the rest of his soiled body.

His feet dragged him out of bed toward the city streets where he watched children playfully romp about, their cares up in the sky for anyone to watch over. Naruto wanted that innocence back, he wanted it more than anything. At times he'd lie in bed and damn both Uchihas for being his ultimate downfall.  
But that was all behind him.

With a silent expression, the blond slowly filled his bathtub and sunk into it. The water covered his thinning body up to his nose where he sat, watching the tiny window near the celing filter light onto him.  
Lazily, Naruto almost had fallen asleep until a change in the lighting severed his daydream. Opening his eyes, the blond was shocked to see that every light in his house had suddenly shut off. Perplexion tarnished his expression, and the blond made his way to a window, seeing other villagers with the same confusion he had.  
So he wasn't alone in all this.

He had been about to turn around when the sight of an obsidean shadow plunged a dagger of shock into his heart, paralyzing the blond down to his heartbeat.

"Hello...Naruto."

The calm stoic voice purred and echoed through the walls of his home and deep into his body. That same voice that he'd heard so long ago, that fell silent over the years. Itachi was less urgent than the last time Naruto had seen him, seemingly recovered with the memory of the endeavor of long ago. No longer did he cast shame in the blond's direction but once again he shot an empty black gaze.

Naruto was unable to reply. He simply watched the intruding figure draw closer, his shadow looming over the blond's as if to dominate it. Fearfully, Naruto retreated against the wall, falling to the floor in tremors.  
Villagers outside began to clamor, sent in a frenzy from the lack of light. They never lost power, not unless something was wrong.  
And oh, was something wrong.

ooooooooooooooooooo

"Lady Hokage!"  
Snapped awake, Tsunade lifted her head from the desk and gazed into the worried eyes of Shizune, amber oculars scanning the room with sheer confusion.\  
"What happened to the lights?"  
"Konoha is in a complete blackout. There is not a single part of the city with power."  
"Then get someone to fix it.."  
"Ma'am, the way the generator stands now, unless it was sabotaged, there is absolutely no way power could be lost."

This seemed to grab the woman's attention. Rising to her feet, the hokage pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed deeply. She silently watched over the town, staring at confused and worried villagers talking amongst themselves. They had seemingly all gathered at the base of the tower, hoping for their leader to make a descision.  
"Round up everyone you can find and search the village. I want this whole place scoured for clues and I want that power fixed."  
"Ma'am."

Tsunade closed her eyes in exhasperation, listening only to the sound of Shizune's retreating footsteps.  
As if to confirm the worry that sank into her stomach, the blond frantically pulled away at the scatter of papers on her desk. Underneath it sat a ripped page from a lottery, the winning combination plastered on the front. She bit her lip and pulled another slip from her pocket, paling at the matching numbers. She had won.  
"Something bad is going to happen..."  
Again, Tsunade turned towards the window and watched the sunlight blaze overhead on what would have been an otherwise beautiful day.

oooooooooooooooooooo

"Is that all?"  
Tsunade scanned across the line of shinobi at the top of her tower, pulling back her sandy blond bangs that were whipped into her face from the oncoming wind. The day had quickly turned hostile, clouds moving in to accentuate such a drastic change.  
It was only fitting in her opinion.  
She looked over at Shizune, and the assistant knew her master was not pleased.  
"Yes ma'am. Everyone else is on a mission."  
"What about Naruto?"  
"He's on a mission."  
"What?"  
"When I knocked on his door, no one answered."  
"Shizune, Naruto is not on a mission. I haven't sent him on one in weeks because of his state. Are you sure he wasn't just asleep?"  
"N-no ma'am...I opened his door and...he wasn't there."  
"It was unlocked?"

Shizune opened her mouth to answer but the hokage lifted a hand and she fell silent. The blond was missing. Panic shot through Tsunade's bloodstream, dozens of worst-case scenarios running through her mind. Looking to the stone faces of the ones who preceded her, the busty woman sighed.  
"Sakura." She spoke, holding back tears of concern and frustration. The cherry blossom immideately came to her side, expression as plastered with worry and disbelief as her master.  
"Yes."  
"Go back to Naruto's house. Search every corner and make absolutely sure that he's missing before I do anything. The rest of you scour the village."

The crowd obliged in unison before dissapearing, Sakura the only remainder.  
"Tsunade-sama...what do you think happened to Naruto?"  
She pulled at her master's sleeve like a child, wanting nothing more than to curl into the arms of her mother and cry. Naruto had been such a troubled boy as of late, not even her efforts dug a smile out of him.  
"If what I think happened is true....he is in very serious danger."

There was no other explanation needed. Sakura hopped away as quickly as she had come, determination laced in her expression. If it was true that Naruto was gone, she would find the ones who had taken him and destroyed them so badly their features could not be identified as human. Each and every day she visited Naruto. Hoping that someday, her efforts would raise his confidence again. Ever since the day he was kidnapped years ago, he had been different, and Sasuke's dissapearence only added heartache. No moment ever passed where she wasn't drenched in worry from his situation.

Reaching the blond's house, she nearly ripped the door off its hinges flying inside. Immideately, Sakura began to tear the house apart. While initially surprised and guilty due to the immaculate state of the rooms, her worry overcame her modesty, and it soon appeared in the same condition it once did. Surprisingly, that calmed the cherry blossom. A sloppy Naruto was a happier one, and that was how she remembered it by.  
However the more she looked, the more upset she became, until in a tearful rage, Sakura ripped a hole through the paper thin walls. She fell to the ground sobbing, overcome with the horrific realization that her best friend was gone.

Even as she arrived to report to Tsunade, the tears had not ceased to flow. The shocked look that appeared on her master's face had only furthered the worry growing within her.  
"Tsunade-sama...what do we do?"  
"I don't know Sakura....things just got...much worse."


	8. I will show you everything

Finally...summer vacation. If I'm not too tied up with what I plan on doing, I should be able to update faster. I gotta get my muse back for writing stories ._.  
I need to finish these so I can write new ones. I've got ideas for oneshots and stuff but that's about it.  
Warnings: lots of violence, rape, buttsecks, gay boys, the whole nine yards.  
And of course we know I don't own Naruto. Itachi would be (spolier!) alive and bedding Naruto and Sasuke.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Naruto awoke with the world spinning around him. Strange colors and scents danced through his mind, splitting his senses off in different directions. Such a vibrant mix of everything within a delusional state gave it several minutes until the blond finally realized where he woke up was not where he was supposed to be.  
He rose groggily, nearly jumping when a heavy quilt fell onto his lap. Glancing around the room, Naruto slowly got to his feet and shuffled to the window. Outside was a view he'd never seen before, with strange characters walking past the building he was inside. They were surrounded by forest on all sides, and focusing deeply, the fox caught traces of the taller buildings of Konoha.

Again the same thing, only this time there was no fear intermittent in his system. There was no trapping shock collar, there was even no trace of the Uchiha to watch him. Naruto could easily slip out of the building and run back to the village, being there by sunset that evening.  
"This is odd.."  
He backed from the window and looked again into the room, catching a glimpse of himself in the mirror. He'd lost a considerable amount of weight over the years, and his skin has lost its natural tan luster, falling instead a sickly pale. The sun kissed mop of yellow hair even seemed to fade, and his eyes had failed to sparkle. There was no denying his health seemed awful. Even the most powerful of wills could falter one day.

"**You should get out of here while you can and make it back to Konoha. They're undoubtedly going to send out a team to look for you.**"  
Naruto sighed. Kyuubi had a point. ANBU did silent but messy work. There was nothing the blond hated more than an ANBU soldier. They were stoic to the point where they lost their humanity..  
That thought froze him. A loss in humanity. It reminded him of Sasuke in some ways. So hell-bent on revenge that he took the most drastic and destructive turn, and...

"Why didn't he use me? Oh god Sasuke...you could have used me."  
Falling to his knees, Naruto buried his head in his arms and curled up, muffling his loud sobs. He would have willingly been bait. He would have lured Itachi there. He'd have done anything if it meant keeping his friend.

"Use you to what? Lure me? That's a foolish notion. Someone as prideful as Sasuke could never want to use anything but his own skill to bring me to him."

Naruto's head shot up into the stare of his kidnapper, his fingernails splintering the wood paneling that surrounded him. The sharp pain that crawled through his arm was soon mown down by the healing chakra, his flesh tingling down to the splinters of wood that had sizzled away.  
Panic rose in the form of bile up his throat. He imagined vomiting over Itachi's shoes, and almost smiled at the thought of the Uchiha's ourburst reaction. However he kept it to himself, hoping to lock away the nervousness in his eyes.  
He had failed.

Itachi drew closer to him with a gaze ever blanked. It was as if the map of his face had been blacked out and all the blond could see was a sheet of nothing. He read blind trying to read Itachi.  
"What do you want with me?"  
Without answering, the Uchiha tenderly lifted Naruto's chin to face him. Gently, his lips wandered foward, his hot breath peppering the blond's sensitive lips. Quivering, Naruto flinched and tucked his head towards the ground, fearfully remembering what had happened years ago. As blurry as memories were, that remained stark and crystal clear.  
Before Itachi's lips could fully press against the blond's, he froze. Tentatively, the man lifted his head and watched the window, a distasteful expression written across his features. Though Naruto watched him quizzically, the man paid this confused expression no mind, pulling Naruto up into his arms.

"Wh-what the he-" He began to say, but his words soon regressed into a scream. His stomach dropped as his eyes wandered to the now retreating windowsill, getting higher and higher and farther from him. He was falling fast, Itachi's arms tightly wrapped around his own. Hitting the ground with a thud, Naruto's vision blurred. Unable to touch the ground, the lingering feeling of falling remained. It took the disoriented boy moments to realize where he was.  
Itachi had jumped out the window.  
"Son of a bitch!!" He screamed, rage encompassing the fear he harbored of the Uchiha. Beating his tiny fists against the larger man, Naruto grunted angrily at the realization of hardly scuffing the fabric of his clothing.  
That was when he noticed the raven was not wearing the Akatsuki robe. His body was much slimmer and muscular without the jacket and unwittingly, Naruto found the man quite attractive. His embarassed blushing belied the fact his mind could only wonder why he was seen without the robe. He'd only seen the Uchiha without that garment once..(1).

"...with me."  
Naruto snapped attentively, turning his cerulean eyes on the scene before him. Much to his surprise, he found himself staring at the blue toned fish man, his oversized sword dangling inches from Itachi's face. In confusion, the blond watched him. Itachi seemed to have gotten along with his partner, and seeing the fish man raise a weapon against the Uchiha puzzled the clueless Naruto even further.  
"Itachi, I didn't think you foolish enough to turn your back on the Akatsuki. What could you possibly want with this boy?"

Silence permeated his responce, Itachi's only action being to wrap his arms further around the blond's body. Had Naruto not felt so frantic, he might have almost called the hold protective.  
Kisame did not wait for a voice, and instead continued.  
"Konoha is already after you to reclaim the boy, do you really want us against you also? You're strong, but you're no match against both us and Konoha."  
"Am I to assume you and the village are truly working together?"  
"Hah! Us work with those primitive hypocrites? The only reason we're bothering is because you're making off with a jinchuuriki. If you'd only hand him over, you can leave and do as you please."

Again, Itachi had fallen silent. Heart beating rapidly, Naruto lay still in the arms of his captor, watching the man through his lidded eyes. What went on in that mind of his? Why had Itachi broken off from the Akatsuki and risked having two powerful forces pursuing him all for the blond? Why didn't he just give him up? It was confusing, and no sense was made from it.  
"That would make it substantially easier for me to just let you have the boy...however...I can't let you do that."  
"Itachi...you and I got along well. I respected you as a powerful comrade. It would do me much grief to be the one to have to kill you."

Itachi's lips curled upward into a faint smile, one reflecting not kindness, but sheer sick amusement. A shiver crawled down the blond's spine at the thought of it, wanting nothing more than to crawl away and sink beneath the dirt.  
"Kisame, I recall you never once being able to beat me. In those times we sparred, I was the victor always, save for one moment when I was exhausted. Even then it was a tie. What makes you think now is any different?"

The fish man's frustrated expression envoked somewhat of a smile in Naruto. He couldn't say for sure who he sided with in the argument, though in the arms of the Uchiha he felt at least safer. For the moment at least.  
"Naruto-kun, look away."  
Shocked at his name being mentioned for the first time, Naruto stared only for a moment at the Uchiha, who's eyes had turned crimson. Blood teared up at the corners of his eyelids, falling down like red rain, and Naruto had immideately covered his eyes. It took only seconds, but soon Kisame was to his knees, screaming in furious frustration (2).

Blood droplets littered the blond's face, still falling freely from Itachi's eyes. The raven moved foward, holding Naruto against him closely, the forest surrounding him a blur. Even from afar, he heard Kisame's chilling cries of death and threats against them both.  
"W-wait a second!!"  
At his command, the Uchiha skidded to a halt. He stared at Naruto curiously, amusement written on his face. Naruto wrenched out of his grip quickly, surprised when he put up no fight. Then again, the Uchiha was in no condition to fight, or perhaps he realized what the blond did. There was no way he could get away at this point.  
"You're acting really weird and I want some answers!"  
"As you wish."  
"I thought you kidnapped me to bring me back to your organization! That's what you got me for last time...right? But, you broke away from them. And now you're running from them AND the village? Why are you doing this? Am I really worth all that trouble?"  
"Don't flatter yourself boy, I'm not doing this for you."  
Flustered, Naruto clenched his fists in frustration. Wanting nothing more than to punch Itachi in the face, he was stopped by the echoing concience of the Kyuubi in his mind.  
**"Calm yourself kit. He could have some useful explanation yet."**  
"Why then...was it for Sasuke? Did you somehow think I could lure your brother to you?"  
"Sasuke? No, of course not. I could lure him to me on my own. I did this for me."

Naruto opened his mouth to question that statement, but his lips were met by a pair of Itachi's own. Again rendered limp by the kiss, Naruto shivered and gripped the fabric of the Uchiha's clothing. His eyes rolled upward, captive under the mesmerizing kiss until a short snap of conciousness caused him to shove the Uchiha away.  
"What the hell was that..?"  
Itachi simply smirked, his hand traveling up to wipe the bloody tears from his cheeks. In such a state, the blond had actually felt slight sympathy for him, though the smug look on the man's face wiped out all he previously felt.  
"You devious little fuck!"

He found himself simply furious, beside himself with frustrated anger. Clenching his fist, Naruto found the bravery sleeping within him to glare daggers at the smiling Itachi, wishing that the phrase 'looks could kill' was true.  
"You selfish bastard! You just kidnapped me so you could have your way with me!? And I thought you were deeper than that! I should-"  
"Be quiet."  
The smile was gone from Itachi's face now, his lips pressed together in a line. Leaning foward unamused, he cupped the blond's cheek in his hand and forced his vision upwards.  
"You have absolutely no idea why I am doing this. You act like you know everything, but when it comes down to the truth you have _no idea_."  
The intimidating tone that rolled off the Uchiha's lips envoked a shudder down Naruto's spine, his eyes staring into the activated Sharingan hues. Quivering again in Itachi's grip, he did his best to avert his eyes away from him, staring at anything that could be surrounding, though always found himself drawn again to Itachi.

Looking satisfied, Itachi grabbed hold of Naruto's hand and forced him along. However fearful, the blond still found it in him to question just where they were going now.  
Turning back to face the blond, Itachi simply smirked and replied:  
"I'm going to show you the truth."

ooooooooooooooooooooo

(1) - I'm talking about the Akatsuki robe if nobody got that lol.  
(2) - Itachi was using his mangekyou against Kisame. :U

And and  
BrokenBloodDrops - I already know how the story is gonna end and tie into the sequel, but I don't wanna spoil anything for you guys yet. Hehehe, you'll have to keep guessing. :]


	9. We came with flowers, they came with war

I'm debating over whether I should rush to the end or stick around and stretch the story out a bit. I wanted to expand Itachi and Naruto's relationship a bit more cause they are eventually make blond uchiha babehs for us :D  
God I wonder what the authors think of us screwing around with their characters. rofl

Anyways, I've never ever owned Naruto cause WTF KISHI ITACHI WAS THE FUCKING SHIT.  
By the way, I'm raping the hell out of the storyline here so if that bothers you sorry. _

And there's yaoi, buttsecks, rape, eventual mpreg, ect etc.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

_The truth?_  
Naruto spent several moments debating over what the truth was, the vague answer enough to silence him, much to Itachi's pleasure. Reluctantly though obediently, Naruto followed his lithe kidnapper through the heavy woodland, struggling to keep up with the speedy Uchiha.  
It seemed Itachi noticed this as well, and with an exhasperated click of his tounge, lifted the blond bridal style into his arms.  
"W-what are we some kind of couple? Why are you holding me?"  
"Because you are slow and...only if you wish Naruto-kun."

The blond only blushed furiously in return, averting his eyes from the smirking Itachi.  
What the hell was with that man? It almost seemed as if he meant everything he had said towards the blond. Itachi was never one to tease, but with the recent exposure...  
It felt strange, foreign almost. He'd never seen the elder Uchiha act...so human.  
And perhaps that was what let him settle ever closer to the arms he now sat in, leaning his head against the surprisingly warm surface of Itachi's chest.

He wasn't sure when or how he'd fallen asleep, but the next thing Naruto felt was a disturbing jolt to his body. Disoriented, the blond sat up and looked around, catching the familiar sight of Konoha's entrance gates, towering over with their condescending importance.  
"You're taking me home?"  
"Quite the opposite....I told you what I was doing."  
"Aren't you worried I'll get people to see you?"  
"You won't turn me in. You're too curious."  
"Curiosity killed the cat you know."  
"Then I guess I'm a murderer."

Naruto was silent after that, unsure of whether Itachi's statement was ludicrous enough to be a joke or not. Truth be told, he _was_ a murderer, and that set the enigma even further away from the frustrated blond. Naruto found himself wanting to know more and more about Itachi. To slowly chip away bit by bit of the raven's carefully constructed mask until everything lay open for him to read. Itachi was a tantalizing puzzle, a challenge that called to him.  
A puzzle he was going to solve.

He was again called to attention when Itachi skidded to a halt, letting Naruto onto the ground before a stretched expanse of forest.  
Puzzled, Naruto stared at the raven in question, who appeared much too focused on the path ahead to see him.  
"Uhh...It-"  
"-quiet."  
Itachi lifted his fingers to his face in a familiar handsign, silently uttering words that poured out like foreign liquid to Naruto. So natural, but in a tounge he'd never heard. All around them the foliage fizzled and dissolved, revealing a vine covered edifice, the likes of which he'd never seen. Dust and plants had overgrown the cracked stone steps, a building untouched by a considerable amount of time.  
"What...what is this place?"  
"The answer to why I'm doing this."

Taking the blond's hand, Itachi led him down towards the entrance of the building, built slightly underground. He cut at the thick vines with a kunai, all the while holding the confused blond who trotted alongside him. It was initially dark, though with another set of handsigns and incantations on Itachi's part, the stone catacombs were soon lit with inlaid torches and glowed with a familiar eerie flicker.  
"This place.....it looks like no one has set foot in here for years."  
"No, they just neglect care of this building. It's made for business. Not decoration."  
"Who neglects it?"  
"You'll see."

Naruto began to grow impatient, annoyed with the constant riddles and unanswered questions. Perhaps there was nothing to see, perhaps it was just another game that Itachi devised, cat and mouse with absolutely nothing.  
"Look you! I want answers! So far all we've done is run around like a chicken with its head cut off and I still don't have ANY answers!!"  
"My, they were right. You are impatient."  
"You fucking kidnapped me! Wouldn't YOU want answers?"  
"Quite. And when the kidnapper is giving answers, shouldn't the victim be quiet so he can get them?"  
Silenced, Naruto stared down at the moss covered ground, watching a spider scuttle along the tiles. It was soon crushed by Itachi's foot as the male moved foward, pinning Naruto against a wall. A layer of dust shook loose, covering the two and sending the smaller into a fit of coughs.  
"Don't push me Naruto. I am doing this for your own good, but I could very well kill you."  
He then retreated from the wall, watching a petrified Naruto sink to his knees, eyes welling full of tears.  
"Now let's go."

He was stupid. Utterly stupid. He'd forgotten what that look was like, how easily it could cripple him. He'd forgotten what had been done to him years ago, and that same man was there with him, alone. There was no way he could escape. Itachi was swift enough to re-capture him, and then where would they be?  
No, the only option Naruto had now was to keep moving foward. No matter what lay ahead.  
He shakily got to his feet and followed the sound of Itachi's footsteps, keeping his head low to the ground and his mouth tightly shut.

After wandering the long and winding corridor, the two entered a seemingly empty cave, thick stone walls covering everything and shrouding them in darkness once again.  
Wordlessly, Itachi stepped foward, biting into his finger. Blood poured down from the wound, and the blond watched as he began writing symbols on a particular area of stone. Stepping back, the symbols began to glow a deep red, sizzling away as the stone receeded, revealing a doorway to a dimly lit, though huge room.  
This one however was covered in scrolls. Piled on bookshelves to the top of the celing, littered among the floor, and in the center, sprawled across a huge oak table, enough to seat 20 or more people at once.  
Unlike the rest of the building, this room appeared frequently used, albiet sloppy. The oak gave off a sheen that reflected a blurry image of what stared at it, and the blond stared into his wooden reflection curiously.

Itachi clapped his hands together once, flaring up the torches in the room. Everything had become brightly lit now, allowing them to easily see across the expanse of the huge stone room.  
"This is the Konoha black market."  
"Black market?"  
"People come here to buy and sell illegal things. This is also the place where they hold regular auctions."  
"What kind of illegal things?"  
"Well for one, people."

The blond gulped and watched Itachi browse through scrolls, running his finger along columns of scribbled writing that he couldn't see from where he stood.

"These are documents of every transaction that's taken place here."  
Answering before Naruto could ask, he motioned for the blond to come closer. Naruto obliged, though with each step closer to Itachi he grew more wary and trembled.  
"These was the planned merchandise for their exchange this month."  
He pushed the scroll Naruto's way and allowed the blond to read it. Carefully, he read through the names, stopping at one, his eyes widening in sheer horror.  
His name was there, as well as every bit of information under the sun that related itself to him. Shuddering and dropping the scroll, Naruto watched as it fell with a clatter, backing up from it.  
"They...were going to sell me.."  
"I was once a member of this black market. Once they began to sell people however, they had gone too far for my tasts. I had stumbled back here through sheer curiosity and found what they were planning."  
"....How...how could Tsunade let them do this to me..?"  
"The Hokage knows nothing of this. It is run by another branch of Konoha, ROOT."  
"I know that group...Sai is there...some old guy named Danzo runs it. He was trying to get rid of me!"  
"You're a fine piece of meat. There are plenty out there who would love to devour you, if you catch my meaning."  
"That...bastard...that slimy bastard!"  
The blond slammed his hand into the ground, sending the scroll skittering further across the room. It landed with a soft _plunk_ by Itachi's foot, who picked it up gently. Stoically, he watched Naruto face the ground, crying with confused frustration.  
"It's not just Danzo who runs it. Rumors speculate that it was the Konoha elders who secretly run this establishment."  
"That's believeable...those two hate me.."

"They've been trading away others to get money into the village for a long time now."  
"Itachi....you saved me from a life of...Kami knows what. But why? Why did you save me?"

Itachi remained silent for several moments, his eyes closed in what appeared to be deep thought. Getting to his feet, Naruto turned to face the Uchiha, tentatively taking a step foward.  
"...Ita-"  
Before he could finish, Itachi had grabbed the blond's chin in his hands, forcing the shaking blond to look into his onyx oculars. A tiny smily lit his normally dead features, and slowly, his lips parted to reveal words that chilled Naruto to his core.  
"Because Naruto...I love you."

And he kissed the blond, deeply, passionately, enough to melt the struggling fox into his arms, and have him already begging for more.  
"I-itachi...you make no sense." He panted, gently pushing away from the man's chest. "Please...you don't make any sense."

"Don't worry...I will explain of course." He replied, smirking teasingly.

ooooooooooooooooooooo

Whoo, cranked that shit out fast. You can thank my boyfriend being at anime expo and me being too far from it to go for that. I have nothing better to do and it's summer vacation. _

By the way they're having sex in the next chapter. Whoohoo smut. :B


	10. Faith and hope destroyed

Hittin chapter 10 now. :D The big one oh.  
*sigh* I need better shit to do with my time. Imma goin to see Harry Potter tomorrow! :U I kind of crapped out ever since Sirius died. But eh, I guess I can give it a shot.  
Baw. I really don't want summer to end. School starts in a month. Bleh. Oh well, at least it's my last year of high school.

Warnings: Rape, mpreg, yadda yadda yadda. Also gay guys and buttsecks.

Disclaimer: Of course I own squat! That's how it always is. ._.

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**(PEOPLE WHO CAN'T TAKE SOME GOOD OLD FASHIONED SMUT SKIP DOWN TO THE NEXT CHAPTER.  
ACTUALLY, IT'S NOT THAT OLD FASHIONED. IT'S FAIRLY DETAILED.  
DETAILED SEX. IF YOU GET SQUEAMISH, SKIP TO THE NEXT CHAPTER.  
....I have spoken. :U)**

He hadn't given Naruto a moments rest, not a second to respond. In an instant, he had the blond backed against the large oak table, climbing on top of him.  
"What do you say Naruto-kun..? Why not ruin the table that tried to sell you into slavery?"  
Itachi smirked down at Naruto with satisfaction, soaking in the terrified look on the blond's face. It was a sadistic feeling, but sadism was his guilty pleasure. Gently he ran his hands down the jacket that covered Naruto's chest, creeping his fingers underneath the lining of the jacket.  
"I-ita...please.."  
Naruto's voice was simply tantalizing, teasing Itachi enough so that his hunger grew unsatiated, craving more and more of the shivering fox below him.  
And there were times when he knew he had to stop, and the terrified Naruto beneath him only brought forth guilt. He'd ruined the boy once that way, years ago. It was a miracle Naruto could even tolerate to be around someone like him after what he'd done.

His actions had been deplorable. By all intents and purposes, Itachi was a murderer, a kidnapper, and a terrifying rapist. And one poor boy had been the central target of it all: the one who now lay in a tearful pile below him.  
But why couldn't he stop?  
Everything Itachi had known for years had been self-control. Knowing when to end everything. But with Naruto..he couldn't stop. It was strange, and at the same time frustrating.  
Did he really...love the boy?

Again his face hardened into a mask, and he gently hovered above Naruto. The boy looked so small in his arms, so fragile, that just a touch would shatter him into pieces. His large aquatic blue eyes brimmed with tears, watching the larger man's every move.  
"Forgive me Naruto....forgive me...for what I am about to do."  
That seemed to have taken Naruto aback slightly. The blond's fearful gaze snapped into one of curiosity, and his consistent struggling to break free had finally wound down. Instead he found himself letting Itachi wander across his body, afraid more of the pained look in the raven's eye.  
Was he as scared as Naruto himself?

Gently, Itachi pulled down the zipper to the blond's jacket, running his finger down the tshirt that covered Naruto's chest.  
"Do you like this shirt Naruto?"  
"Y-yes.."  
He scoffed lightly, tossing the jacket and shirt quickly to a crumpled heap on the floor. Though he would much rather have torn his way through to Naruto's bare chest, he did at least have enough in him to respect another's wishes.  
At times anyway.

Laughing at his own thoughts, the Uchiha gently leaned down, biting into Naruto's sensitive neck. He knew just how much it got the boy to shiver and moan, much to his enjoyment and thrill. Albeit a sick enjoyment and thrill. His hand snaked down to the lining of the blond's pants, dipping down inside them and gripping the blond's hard member.  
"Mmm..for someone who struggled, you seem to be enjoying it." He teased, swirling his thumb around the tip of the sensitive organ. In responce, Naruto's hips buckled, his moaning rising to the celing of the cave. No one would be inside, and he could scream as loud as he wished without attracting attention.  
And for some reason....that exited him.  
What in the world was wrong with him? Enjoying rape? Had he already succumbed to Stolkholm Syndrome (1) after such a limited time with his culprit?  
He was both sickened and aroused.

"I-Itaiiiii..."  
With each touch, the feelings became more sensual. He slowly dripped away from the fear, embracing the sheer pleasure that his hands could give him. After such a long time running away, it seemed like now he couldn't get enough of the very thing he so greatly feared.  
Bucking his hips again, Naruto let loose a cry that he swore shook the foundation of the stone structure. digging his nails into the wood of the table, the blond tried his best not to leave clawed marks, though Itachi simply placed his other hand over the blond's.  
"Let them see what we've done Naruto. I want them to know we were here."

Blushing furiously, and out of pure defiance, Naruto still resisted the urge to tear the wood to shreds. The feeling was unbearable, and instead he latched onto the Uchiha's back, ripping through an outer layer of flesh with his claws. Much to his surprise, Itachi merely groaned in some sort of masochistic pleasure and squeezed the blond's strained erection, earning him another blast of overwhelming emotion.  
He'd already begun seeing stars by the time he realized Itachi trailing kisses down his chest, running his tounge over the blond's erect nipples. No sooner had he reached the erection--already weeping with precum--when he had engulfed his mouth over the sensitive organ.

Naruto nearly screamed, bucking his hips into the celing, though restraining his true power from gagging the Uchiha. Having nothing to grab, he finally gave in, raking his fingers across the smooth surface of the table and leaving deep gashes in his wake. Blood poured from his fingertips, though he'd barely noticed the pain while the wounds sizzled away. Instead he focused on Itachi, the rhythmetic bobbing of his head almost making him drowsy, had it not been for the sensational feeling that snapped him to attention.  
Reaching a climax so quickly it left him breathless, Naruto spilled his release out into the Uchiha's awaiting mouth, watching him lick up the gooey remnants with his fingers.  
"Interesting taste Naruto."

His face had turned a cherry red, enough to rival the crimson Sharingan that stared cockily back at him. Itachi knew he'd won, and he was aware the frustrated blond knew that too. Regret still pumped through his veins, but the fact Naruto no longer peered on him in fear was enough to combat it for that moment.  
"And now.."  
He moved himself again over the blond, ebony locks spilling over his shoulders to gently tickle the tip of Naruto's nose. Removing his own clothing quickly, Itachi aligned his body with Naruto's, allowing their bare skin to touch up against each other, quickly attacking the blond's neck with a series of bites and kisses. Distracting the blond with that, he quickly aligned his aching erection with the blond's entrance and gently entered.

Naruto screamed. Louder, harder than he ever had before. And if his previous outcry had shaken the building, he was sure that one was heard. Itachi quickly silenced him with a passionate kiss, though Naruto took his feelings again out on the Uchiha's bare back. Blood ran down his fingertips, warm to the touch, though unusually cold against his heated skin.  
Tears formed at the corners of his eyes, falling down in fat droplets down his cheeks. It hurt, the pain almost unbearable. He'd forgotten how simply intolerable the beginning was and had he not been locked in a kiss, he'd have been begging and screaming for it to end.

Itachi pulled back with a groan, arching his thrusts so that he'd find the patch of nerves that would send Naruto wild, his sweet spot. Once the blond's screams had become eager cries of desire, Itachi again probed the spot that had his Naruto screaming for more.  
His Naruto. A pipe dream if there ever was one. Naruto had never shown love interest in men. He would wake up in the morning attracted to a woman, ashamed of what had happened, and in fear of Itachi. He didn't know why he cared so much, nor did he understand how his feelings had swelled to that caliber, though all he truly could focus on were the blond's erotic moans and his own oncoming climax.

He moaned the blond's name cautiously before releasing inside him, panting heavily and watching the boy under him squirm with spent fatigue. Naruto's face was flushed to the point at which it looked feverish, and his eyes, still brimming with tears, remained shut. Too exhausted to move, Itachi merely lowered himself onto the blond, getting back his energy until he finally pulled away, turning to the abandoned pile of clothes on the ground. He dressed quickly, not looking at the blond until he had been fully clothed, turning to boy, who appeared to be frozen.  
"Naruto?"  
Gently he nudged the blond, widening his eyes as the boy curled to the side, breathing softly in a rather meticulous pattern.  
The boy had fallen asleep.

Cracking a faint smile, Itachi draped a cloak over the sleeping fox, lifting both him and his clothes into a tight embrace. He gently planted a kiss on the blond's forehead, whispering a remorseful apology in his ear. Turning to examine the room and smiling at the scars that marred the surface of the table, Itachi turned and ran from the building, off into the darkness and never looking back.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

1. For those who don't know, Stockholm Syndrome is what they call the behavior when a captive becomes sympathetic or sides with their captor. It is real.

Anyway, since my writing style has gotten a bit better than when I first started this account, I was thinking of rewriting the first few chapters to match what I can do now. What do you guys think? :U The more opinions I get, the more I can help meet your needs yaknow. rofl. 


	11. But we'll still look for you

A lot of people seemed to think Itachi had left Naruto behind in that building, so just to clarify, no he didn't. He took Naruto with him. :U

Ita isn't that mean to the poor blondie.

Your reviews make me smile guys, :D I'm glad people like this story. I guess for now I should finish it, but by the time I do, if I decide to write the old chapters again and not do the sequel I'm afraid you'll eat me alive. :[  
I'm so nerdy, I've had this ending in my head for months. I so want to do the sequel.  
:U I should shut up now.

Warnings: Yaoi, uhh.....nakedness?  
Disclaimer: ....GTFO.

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Naruto awoke in comfort, wrapped in a cloak with tempurature that seemed to serve only to lull him back into sleep. His backside propped against the stiff surface of a tree, the blond moved foward only to have a searing pain shoot through his lower body, earning him a disgruntled cry. This seemed to grab the attention of the Uchiha, who soon emerged through a crevice of trees, carrying several fish in his hand. His expression was a familiar one he'd worn during his first encounter with Naruto, however upon seeing him in his pained state, the facade melted to reveal remorseful wincing, as he mouthed a silent apology.  
The blond's only response was a growl, rooted to the spot to preserve the tender area from any further discomfort. He watched as Itachi knelt before a crackling flame, skewering the fish and leaving them to roast in the fire.

No sooner had he finished that, when he turned to the blond, seating himself no closer than three feet from his frustrated face, keeping his infamous composure as best he could.  
"Naruto.."  
"No, stop. I know what you're going to say. Look, I've been fed a lot of lies in my life. Enough so that I could brag about it. But the one thing I won't accept, is you lying about love."  
Much to his surprise, he'd found himself beginning to cry. Tears streamed like crystalline droplets down his fair skin, and he made no effort to contain them. The Uchiha's emotionless gaze was once again melted into shock at the sight of the blond's tears, hesitating to sweep them away.  
"Naruto, I do not lie. Not only does Konoha wish to kill me, Akatsuki now does as well. At this point, could I truly really lie about anything?"

His response seemed to catch the blond off guard, for he said nothing. Merely staring into his eyes, he could see the remorse in his actions, the regret for letting lust control him. This was no cold killer, nor a heartless kidnapper. This was a man conflicted by emotion, holding back the tears that could ruin an image he tried so hard to perfect.  
For once, Itachi finally appeared vulnerable. Dropping his defenses, Naruto moved despite the pain, ignoring the cloak that fell back, revealing his naked body. He carefully threw his arms around the Uchiha, burying his face in the larger man's neck.  
"I don't understand it myself yet...but if you really and truly love me, I guess I can give you a chance."  
He didn't have to look up to know Itachi was smiling, and envisioned the look on the man's face, one that he would only allow those sacred to him to see. Closing his eyes calmly, Naruto pulled away from the Uchiha, staring over at the roasting fish that was to be their breakfast.  
"Can I wash myself off before I eat?"  
"Of course. I'll help."

Without another word, Itachi lifted Naruto into his arms, surprising the blond who let out a small yelp. Knowing he was unable to move on his own however, he didn't bother to complain as the larger man gently set him down into the gentle shoreline of a lake. It was surprisingly warm, and shocked the blond, who had prepared himself to be immersed in freezing water. Naruto took advantage of the warmth though, and gently stretched out his body, the soreness gradually seeping away the more he moved.  
Gently immersing himself whole in the water, he was surprised to find out just how clear it was, and just how much he could truly see. Schools of fish swam around him, aquatic plants tickling at his bare body, and sunlight shining through the deep water, filtering the lake until it faded into the murky deep.  
"**Kit.**"  
Kyuubi's echoing voice caught the blond by surprise, not expecting such a clear voice, even one within his own mind  
"_What is it?_"  
"**Itachi Uchiha....he is speaking the truth. He harbors no malice towards you Kit.**"  
"_Suddenly you seem unusually supportive of me partnering with this guy. Did you forget he was the same one who wanted to kidnap us years back and rip you out of me?_"  
"**Times change Kit. Is he not the same man who sold you from becoming a product and being someone's living toy? I am not telling you to requite his love, but I am saying you may drop your guard at least a little.**"  
"_I'll try._"  
"**Yes, try it. And if you do fall for him, I will give you something incredible.**"  
The blond remained unresponsive, focusing more on washing the excess remains of last night from his body. Kyuubi soon realized Naruto refused to continue the conversation and with an irritated click of its tounge, the demon receeded into the depths of his mind. Thankful to be alone, Naruto surfaced and exited the lake, dressing in his clothes which he had spotted placed nearby and--with great difficulty--walked toward the fire where Itachi sat.  
"Here, take one."  
The blond uttered no complaints to upset his protesting stomach, taking the fish that the man offered him and hungrily biting into it. It was plain, but surprisingly satiating, and before he realized it, he was wholefully immersed in devouring it.  
"Uhm...Itachi," He began, mouthfulls of food preventing his words from coming out in a conceivable or even intelligent manner. The sight of it all nearly made the older Uchiha burst into laughter, but bit his lip to keep the blond's rage in check.  
"Yes?"  
This time the blond swallowed before attempting to speak again, his voice more clarified.  
"I hope this isn't where you want to live or something. What the hell do we do now?"  
"You don't have to tag along with me anymore."  
"I....don't?"  
His words took the blond by shock, who merely stood stunned, unable to prod any further as to why. With a sigh, Itachi got to his feet, abandoning the last of the fish which the blond quickly took and began to eat.  
"All I needed to show you was that. I didn't want you to become some fodder for those bastards. You can go back if you want, of course they'd still try to capture you."  
"Tsunade would kill them when she found out!"  
"Naruto these men are not daft. You would be pronounced dead, and a tale so convincing even the wisest man would fall for it would be spun."  
"But now all they'll do is declare me missing and raise complete hell. I mean, they'll be looking for me. Akatsuki will be looking for you...and you can't stand a chance against both forces! Kisame was right about that, they'll destroy you!"  
Itachi only laughed in response, figuring that untimely death to be a quick end to the hollow lonliness that had settled in his heart.  
A gentle touched stirred this however, and he was soon met with a pair of concerned aquatic eyes, fighting that lonliness off, and winning.  
"Itachi Uchiha is not invincible. He is strong, but he can lose. So please, let me come with you and help. Besides, Akatsuki might come after me before they focus on you. You wouldn't want that to happen right?"  
Smiling softly, the blond nudged the Uchiha until the corners of his lips perked up almost half-heartedly.  
"Alright, I suppose you can be pathetic at times."  
Lightly tapping him on the shoulder again, both boys worked on covering their trail, whilst Itachi taught the blond everything he knew of a fairly nomadic lifestyle.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

"What do you mean, no sign of him?!"  
Two ANBU lay kneeled before the table behind which their Hokage sat at, never letting their eyes wander from the floor, out of respect, and fear for Tsunade's sheer rage. The busty woman had taken to letting her anger out on the countertop before her, splitting the wood in half with one slam of her fist.  
"E-exactly what we said ma'am. We've searched and searched, but Naruto's house is immaculate and even tracker dogs can't pick up on his scent."  
"I asked you to do this job because you are the greatest team of ANBU in the village. Not only is Naruto important to the village, if Akatsuki get their hands on him, it'll spell the end of lives everywhere!"  
The two flinched beneath their masks at the Hokage's wrath, both pitying and admiring the brave soul who dared to pick a fight with her.  
"Ugh, both of you get out of my sight."

The blond woman turned to the window, ignoring the two shinobi who's presences dissapeared in a puff of smoke. She alternated her attention between her own reflection and the village skyline, tracing her finger along the sleepless bags under her eyes. Ever since Naruto had gone missing, she'd been lying on a bed of nails, and the resulting stress had began to pile on her nerves.  
Amber eyes flew towards the doorway, her fist at first clenching and relaxing soon after.  
"You can come in now Sakura."  
At her command, the cherry blossom timidly walked into the room, feeling a bit taken aback herself at her master's rage.  
"Tsunade-sama...they didn't..?"  
"No trace of Naruto whatsoever. It's as if he vanished off the face of the planet."

Sakura's emerald eyes dimmed hopelessly, already sore with tears. She sniffled stubbornly and rubbed the liquid away, hoping her resolve was strong enough to stay composed. Again she was useless. Naruto was in danger, possibly dying, possibly captured, and where was she? Sitting in the Hokage's office, crying her eyes out. Where was the endless two year training she'd put herself through? What happened to the promise she had told herself time and time again to protect Naruto?  
"_He's done...so much for me....and I.._"  
Opening her mouth to speak, the cherry blossom was soon interrupted by yet another intruder, staring down at the back of the Hokage's head with an irritatingly condescending smile. His face was marred with scars of battles long past, though most of it was obscured by bandages. To his side were yet another set of ANBU, though these merely stared blankly with their masks, no incentive to show respect towards their leader.  
Though the man was elderly, he was indeed ominous, and the aura that surrounded him sent shivers down Sakura's spine.

"Danzo." Tsunade simply said, hiding her anger behind the most stoic facade she could muster. Carefully working to keep her temper in check, the Hokage turned around and folded her arms, biting her fiery tounge in place.  
"Well well Tsunade-sama. Are you sure you won't be needing my help?"  
"Since when in the world did you care about Naruto's well being?"  
"Since it began to jeapordize the village of course. I was the one who suggested you keep that fox under lock and key, and since you decided to let him roam and have his freedom, we are now missing the nine tailed beast that could possibly be used to attack us a second time!"  
"Naruto is not just the fox god damn it!!"  
Again Tsunade released her anger on the remains of the table, shattering it further into utter rubble. Though Sakura jumped away, neither Danzo nor the two beside him flinched the slighest.  
"Naruto is a human being with his own thoughts and his own actions. I don't care about the damn fox! He must be returned because he is an important part of this village, and one day you will be bowing to him as Hokage."  
"I would sooner let myself be spat on before I bowed to a demon."  
"I would sooner let myself be spat on before I accepted help from the likes of you."

Not surprised by the Hokage's sharp tounge, Danzo let out a low chuckle, his voice full of spite.  
"Well Tsunade-sama. You have no choice in the matter."  
One of the statuesque ANBU stepped foward, placing a small scroll into the palm of Tsunade's open hand. Unwraveling it carefully, she read the parchment with disdain, growing more upset as it went on.  
"The elders have already agreed that I send a tracker ninja with the next team you send out. This person will be hand picked by me, and you have no say in the matter. Understand, princess?"  
"Get out."  
Clenching her teeth, Tsunade dropped the scroll to the ground, watching Danzo's retreating figure with pure venom in her stare. Sighing, she sunk into her chair and pinched the bridge of her nose, at a complete loss.

"Tsunade-sama...I can go with the tracker. I don't trust that Danzo man just sending him out alone, and if it's both of us, I can keep an eye on him."  
"No...no I have a better idea. You have one hour to prepare for this journey, and I want you in my office immideately after."  
Sakura nodded and formally dismissed herself, making way to the doorway. Adrenaline coarsed through her system, pushing the cherry blossom ever foward, her sights set only on finding Naruto.  
"This time, I'll protect you Naruto."

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Yaaaaaay. I did it.  
Sounded real heavy on NaruSaku there for a sec didn't it? Well, it's not romantic. I mean I like NaruSaku but this is solely a platonic relationship, nothing else.  
I might pair Sakura up with someone.  
If you suggest Sasuke I'll stab you in the jaw, absolutely not. B|

*cough*  
Anyway, I hope everyone liked this chapter.

Okay, so due to personal reasons, I tried to change my account username. This somehow fucked up my profile and now I can't even update it or access my own or anything. I don't know what's wrong, so if someone can help tell me what's up, that'd be great.


	12. Abandoning your dreams

So yeah. I feel like I've all but abandoned all my Naruto stories. To be honest, I'm not all that into Naruto as I was before. Things have gotten a little too rehashed in a rather convoluted fashion. But I do have an attachment to this story. I plan on fixing up some of the more shoddily written chapters earlier on. I'll be honest it kind of embarrasses me to look at them. _  
But urgh. I need to fucking finish this. So here's the next chapter. 

-Obligatory warnings and disclaimers that you should have seen already from the preview and come to your own damn conclusion about who owns the series.-

She was like a ballerina. Lithe amongst the rooftops, with all the grace and fluidity of a stream of water. With a determined look adorning her porcelain features, the cherry blossom had taken to her search, never once truly stopping to think about who she needed.  
Once, just once, she let her thoughts wander to a boy her age. A gaze of the deepest, emotionless obsidian watched her with nothing short of apathetic detest. But he had still been her hero. Her everything. All her hope she had poured into him. And he never once looked back. Never once the care she'd been doted too so many times, and yet had been too blind to see it.  
A damn fool, and a brat. That was what she had been.

For a brief moment, Sakura Haruno let herself steady atop a railing that overlooked a stream, so calm in its flow that it looked near stagnant. Taking in a deep breath, she closed her eyes and let her thoughts settle, truly thinking of the urgency of the matter.  
Naruto was gone. Kidnapped. Taken away by the Akatsuki that had been so adamant on the blond's capture so many years before. But Naruto was more naïve back then. Surely he wouldn't just…let the Akatsuki take him away. Not without a fight.  
It was then that Sakura's true fears really set in. She bit into the soft flesh of her lip, gently massaging it with her teeth as her options unfolded to her.  
She would need a skilled leader. As much as she wished to spearhead the operation, Sakura knew that she was not within the right mindset to handle the duty. And only one man was skilled and composed enough for the job.  
Finding Shikamaru was fairly simple. The lethargic jounin never usually did much on his days off. Needless to say, his initial interpretation of Sakura's approach had not been positive.  
"Tell Tsunade if she wants me to work, it isn't happening."  
Sakura repressed the urge to scream. Was he not aware of the impending crisis!  
No…of course he wasn't.  
"This is an emergency."  
"The troublesome stuff always comes up on my days off."  
"_Please,_ Shikamaru."  
The desperation in her voice struck a chord. The complaints ceased, and Shikamaru sat up, all trace of laziness erased from his face.  
"Sakura…what's wrong?"

She told the story of Naruto's disappearance, the kidnapping, Akatsuki. Shikamaru remained silent the entire time, with nothing to prove emotion except the occasional quirk of a thin, raven colored brow. Once she finished, the jounin closed his eyes, letting out a sigh that could only partially describe the mix of emotions he felt.  
"So, Tsunade's sending you on a mission to find him. And you have to gather everyone that you can."  
"Right. I picked you because you're easily the best leader available for the job. Plus you've done reconnaissance missions before."  
"That I have…but never against the Akatsuki."  
Shikamaru saved his troublesome complaints for another time, cautiously stepping around inciting Sakura's short fuse with his lethargy in a situation so dire.  
"Unfortunately, not many of us are around. Neji, Sai, and Chouji are the only ones I can think of."  
"Sai might be ROOT's representative. Danzo has wormed his way into hand picking a ROOT ninja to join the team."  
He bit his lip at that. Shikamaru did not care for Danzo.  
"Somehow I doubt that. Danzo will pick someone corrupt. He doesn't want Naruto around…and neither do the elders. Call me a conspiracy theorist but…I sense something's amiss."  
"It's possible. But I wouldn't make assumptions just yet."  
Sakura had had enough of wasting time with conversation. She extended her hand towards Shikamaru, feebly attempting a smile. It was wholly dwarfed by her stress and concern however, merely peeking through as a pathetic grimace.  
"Will you help me?"  
Without hesitation, the jounin shook his cherry blossom subordinate's hand.  
"I'd be honored."

ooooooooooooooooooo

It did not take long for the two of them to recruit what few people were left. None opposed, and within the hour, the small group of ninja waited atop the roof to the Hokage's building. They all shifted with a mutual discomfort, taking Naruto's kidnapping with various forms of disappointment, concern, and anger.  
Neji's voice finally broke the silence, "What do we know about the members who took him directly?"  
"We're actually not completely sure who it was…but we're fairly certain that it was Itachi Uchiha, and Kisame Hoshigaki."  
Sakura's eyes laced with shame as she felt the Uchiha name upon her lips. Once again she remembered how weak she'd been…what a fool.

The gentle clacking of heels against the stone ground grabbed the group's collective attention. Gazing on the Hokage's stern face, none made the attempt to greet her. There was no formality in a situation so dire.  
Finally, Tsunade let her gaze fall to her pupil. Sakura felt her body stiffen, feeling much like she had on her first days under the busty Hokage's tutelage.  
"Is this everyone?"  
"Yes ma'am. Everyone else is on their own missions. They're the only ones I'd trust on a mission like this."  
Tsunade observed the children poised before her, unsure of whether to be surprised or not at the lack of fear upon their determined faces.  
"Nara Shikamaru, Hyuuga Neji, Inuzuka Chouji, and Sai."  
Their names rolled off her lips like a mechanical roster, amber gaze never falling. But as much of a serious front as Tsunade put on, they could all see the hurt so thinly veiled behind the glossy surface of her eyes.  
Naruto was like a grandson to her. And perhaps more than any of them, she wanted to go out there and bring him back.  
"You all know who exactly it is you're up against, right?"  
"Yes ma'am." They chorused in unison. Tsunade made no response but simply turned towards Sai.  
"Are you ROOT's representative?"  
"I'm here because Sakura-san asked me to be."  
"I am here on Danzo-sama's behalf."

A newfound voice, foreign to all the ears it fell on lashed out against the shinobi's near timid mumbling. All eyes came upon a lanky young man, looking no more notable than the average shinobi. His pale golden hair was tied neatly in a ponytail above his head, and his amber gaze looked from Tsunade, to the eyes of each of the ninja around him, reflecting a superior, distrustful air.  
Sakura felt her fists clench instinctively and as she took a quick look at her teammates, she could see she was not alone.

"My name is Tsukuru my lady."  
He spoke with a renowned formality, genuflecting with devoted respect at the feet of the Hokage. Tsunade seemed taken aback at this, quirking a sandy eyebrow upward in confusion.  
"Very well Tsukuru."  
She seemed reluctant to take her eyes off the strange shinobi, acting as if he would move to end her life if she did. The haughty air of betrayal hung around him like a thick musk. Even Sai appeared uncomfortable beside him.  
"You all have made proper preparations, am I correct?"  
The young shinobi nodded their agreement, with none appearing to object.  
"Then you all know your objective. Retrieve Naruto, capture Itachi. Dead or alive. Now go!"  
Her hand moved outwards as she barked out her last command. Within an instant, the ninja had disappeared, leaving the Hokage alone on the roof.  
"And be safe…" She whispered, clasping her hands to her chest.

A plume of steam rose up from the forest, mixing into the tree branches as it wove thickly through the foliage. A subtle cough through the hissing of the smoke, Naruto backed up from the stack until he'd fallen onto his backside. Coming up from beside him, the elder Uchiha shook his head.  
"Naruto, remember, never put out a fire with water when you're trying to hide. The smoke will give away your position for miles."  
The blond looked positively dumbfounded. "Well how the hell else do I put out a freaking fire?"  
Itachi had to smirk. Slowly but surely, he'd spent the last several hours teaching the blond to survive in secrecy. He was easily used to outdoor life, but somehow the aspect of needing to be especially cautious about his position completely lost its point to him.  
"Use the earth around you."  
With the greatest of care, Itachi dug his hands into the soft earth that surrounded the smoldering campfire. Taking sure that his young charge watched with wide eyed enamor, he scooped the dirt into his long fingertips, tossing them with each careful fistful into the cinders that were left behind. Cut off from its oxygen, the dying campfire ceased its smoky cries, the hazy stack soon fading off, and leaving only a woody, comforting scent.  
"Is that it?"  
"Not quite. We need to hide our tracks. You cover up the hole while I scatter the firewood."  
The young blond nodded, evening the dirt from the divet that his teacher had dug. Every so often he peered through the curtain of blond locks, watching his teacher move calmly, seemingly without concern.  
But he knew the pressure. Being a target of the most frightening committee of renegade ninja he'd ever seen was almost enough to render him stricken. And yet here was Itachi, chased by not only the very same group, but the largest village in the ninja world.  
He hadn't batten an eyelash over the situation on the exterior. The man had been smiling, teaching Naruto how to properly cover a campfire.  
What on earth were they doing? Where were they going? The questions bubbled up inside, waiting to burst until-

"Something's on your mind Naruto?"  
The blond almost immediately let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding in. Oceanic hues, reflecting the surface of genuine concern stared into a dull onyx abyss.  
"Where are we going? We can't run from them forever Itachi! We can't keep living like this! I can understand the first few nights but we are going to eventually be found if we keep aimlessly wandering like this!"  
"You really didn't think I was just escorting you around without a goal…did you?"  
Naruto seemed dumbstruck at that. The deadpan gaze in his companion's eyes only served to lather the response on with a nonverbal smack.  
Itachi didn't wait for a response, "there's a city directly outside the ninja jurisdiction. Usually, shinobi don't go there. If we can make it into that city, we'll be out of the grasp of both Konoha and Akatsuki."  
"Wait. You're not talking about Kaipeitan City are you? They're savagely anti-shinobi! They'll never shelter us!"  
"Which is why…Naruto…if you're going to follow me, you need to give up your shinobi lifestyle."

Eyes as wide as dinner plates, Naruto could only let loose an occasional incoherent noise. A hushed silence had fallen over them. Any minute now, Naruto wished for Itachi to grin, ever smugly, taunting the blond for being so gullible.  
But his expression never moved, and never faltered. His onyx gaze stared, nothing if not serious.  
"Bu…but…you're running away? Going into hiding?"  
"Naruto, I am a fugitive. Konoha wants me for killing my clan and kidnapping you. Akatsuki wants me for defecting, even Sasuke is out there, looking for me right now. There is nothing left for me in the ninja world. I can't run away from my past. In Kaipeitan, I can live out what is left of my life in peace. I'm tired of running, living on the sidelines, and dodging bounties on my head. Itachi Uchiha the shinobi is no more."  
"What about Sasuke then! Don't you care about your brother? He's out there playing chicken with a madman for power, because he wants to defeat you! Can't you settle this with him?"  
"Sasuke will find me. And when he does, we will settle it then. But he has to seek me out himself. But this isn't about him. What will you do, Naruto?"  
Naruto faltered, shifting uneasily from one foot to the other. His shinobi headband seemed to burn a hole in his hand, beckoning him to turn tail on the Uchiha and run, run as fast as he could back home. His mind screamed it, his legs twitched under an involuntary control. And yet his heart weighed them back, digging its heels into the sand.  
He couldn't just leave Itachi. He couldn't. After all he'd done. He had saved Naruto's future twice. And the more he thought about leaving him, the emptier the blond felt.  
Solemnly, Naruto gazed down at the shinobi band in his grasp. He saw himself reflected in it, the image distorted with the imperfect curve of the metal. He saw his eyes, dull and weary. His hair, matted, longer than he remembered it, though it'd only been a few days. He felt different.  
Tears fell from his face, tears of wonder, confusion, regret, and excitement. He let the headband go, his hopes and dreams, his years of bragging and training to be Hokage, his endless friendships and rivalries all go.  
And they clattered onto the ground with a resonating whirr.

"All for you."

Yup. Just like that.  
Stay tuned!


	13. Silver Linings to Stormy Skies

First chapter's rewritten, for anyone who cares to read it~  
Warnings and disclaimers on first chapter.

ooooooooooooooooooo

Itachi felt his lips quirk upward, unsure exactly of the emotion he should feel. There was relief, a subtle, surprising response that bubbled up involuntarily with Naruto's ultimatum.  
-_Shock._-  
He reeled in the thought of what he just asked of the blond boy, telling him to abandon his ninja dream, or never see Itachi again. To the Uchiha himself, perhaps the outcome seemed simple. But as he watched the boy ponder, staring at the headband he prided himself upon owning with a profound gaze that he wasn't aware that Naruto was even capable of, let alone to take in the staggering choice that was not weighed upon him.  
-_Shame._-  
And how could he, exactly, push that upon the boy? Naruto was certainly not him. He had always been the pride of his clan, a prodigy. While Naruto was not without his prodigal moments, the blond could never comprehend the amount of times that Itachi had been forced to make such a descision by the time he was half the boy's age.  
Naruto was frail. The childishly arrogant front that he so haughtily waved about was merely a membrane to the deep rooted hurt that thorned its way across his skin. He wasn't so different from Itachi himself and at times, the Uchiha could swear he saw his own thorns of fragility sprout off and intertwine with Naruto's own.

There was a sound that cut him short, something subtle, almost helpless, hidden behind a pitiful attempt to mask what was undoubtedly a sob. Itachi looked down at his charge, sharp eyes catching sight of the liquid crystal that fell from his eyes.  
The boy had started to cry.  
Itachi frowned, his actions and expressions unhindered by the cloak he normally wore. Akatsuki's trademark long but abandoned, he had taken to controlling them himself, rather than using the collar as a proxy to impede his inevitable humanity.  
But years of apathy could not prepare him for this.

The tears of a young boy, devoted by a feeling he could not comprehend, to a man who had, put brusquely, kidnapped and raped him senseless. He had abandoned his dreams, for the man of his nightmares.  
Itachi looked off to the side, purposely averting his eyes from the surface of the river. He couldn't bear to see his reflection, not with Naruto so horrendously crestfallen.

He took care not to disturb the surface of the headband as he knelt down to pick it up, though held it as if the surface burned him. It knew the touch of a traitor. Perhaps Naruto could forgive but the spirit of Konoha would never forgive him.  
"I will never see the inside of my birth village again." He murmured, holding the object as close to his chest as he would allow himself.  
This seemed to grab Naruto's attention. Focused suddenly on something outside the gravity of his descisions, he watched as the older man's oddly cryptic words and even more unorthodox emotional gestures thrust him into a surrounding parallel to Naruto's own.  
Was this….remorse? He could hear the man's voice echo in his mind, effortlessly stating that there was not a single thing he had done that he regretted, but there had to have been something. No one, not even Itachi, lived without regret.

"Are you alright..?"  
His words seemed to shock Itachi, his expression for a moment forgetting altogether that Naruto was even there. There was something strangely unexplainable written across his face, something that could have vaguely resembled embarrassment.  
Itachi cleared his throat, getting to his feet with enough swiftness to cover his odd behavior.  
"I'm fine." He spoke, handing the headband to the blond and turning before Naruto could register his face. Confused, Naruto squeezed his hands around the metal gently, feeling the edges impress into his skin.  
Itachi didn't wait for a response, "You don't need to martyr away your prized possessions. Keep it with you, for memories."

If nothing else, his words seemed to reassure Naruto somewhat. The tears had all but vanished, leaving only twin trails that shimmered in sunlight on his cheeks.  
It was somewhat…cute.  
Itachi stifled a chuckle. He must have no words left to describe.  
"Kaipeitan's in the North. If we start now, we can make it within two days."  
As he spoke, Itachi reached up and unwraveled the ties to his slashed headband, becoming a traitor to the traitors. Naruto watched him with awe as he blew flames onto the material, crumbling the fabric to dust. Before it reached the metal surface, Itachi dropped it, watching the fire lap the sides of the steel, and singe it beyond restoration.  
"There's no going back for me. But you, I won't force to stay. If at any time, you wish to leave, and return to your ninja ways, I will not stop you. You are no longer my captive. You are my companion, bound to me only by your own free will."  
"I know."  
"I just thought I would emphasize."

Naruto trotted up beside Itachi, smiling with a softness that blurred away his rough edged personality. He could see far beyond the surface of his former captor. It scared Itachi to the point where he almost hoped Naruto _would_ change his mind. No one, not even Sasuke, had ever grown to know him so well inside.  
"Well!" The blond began, stretching his arms high above his head, "The longer we wait, the quicker they'll catch up to us! So what do you say we head off?"  
His nomadic mentor let himself show the faintest trace of amusement.  
"Best idea I've heard all day."

oooooooooooo

The sun had far past set, by the time Sakura Haruno made her way back to a crackling campfire, situated in the cramped clearing of trees. Her group was awkwardly positioned around it, with the exception of Tsukuru, who had suspiciously kept to himself since the ordeal had even begun.  
"That guy isn't right."  
Eerily mimicking her thought, Sakura turned to face the rotund Chouji, eyeing the solitary shinobi between fistfuls of food. "I've got a gut feeling that guy isn't right."  
"You've got gut feelings about everything Chouji." Shikamaru mused, lazily slumping his body beside the worn bark of the closest tree. "But I do agree. There's something suspicious about him."  
Sakura made her presence known to the gathering, settling into the bare space beside Neji, and wrapping her knees close to her chest. "I think there's something off about ROOT in general, with the exception of Sai of course."  
Sai seemed unfazed by her words, unsurprisingly. He raised his calm, onyx eyes from the book in his lap, a faint smile the only window into his mind. "I have never even heard of this man before, in all my years of ROOT."  
There was a stilled silence after that, though the unanimous look of concern swept over them like a thick musk fog.  
"There's someone watching us."  
Always the silent one, all eyes were upon Neji, the raised veins around his eyes indicative of Byakugan's activation. Sakura cautiously reached for a kunai in her holster, eyeing her teammates similar battle preparations.  
Within the fastest blink of an eye, before any of them could even register the shock, a breathtakingly inhuman movement had nearly formed before them. Smooth like an apparition, Tsukuru was upon the movement, axe in hand. He swung it without hesitation upon a large tree, effortlessly splitting the massive bark wide open, and forcing a figure upward. They followed the movement of the exposed form, watching it manifest into a form that—put simply—shocked the younger shinobi.

Towering above the now standing group, a sharp toothed grin spread wide across the scaled skin, threatening to split his head in two. Neji above all seemed the most surprised, taking a step back with unobstructed horror.  
"You! You're the fish man we battled in the desert!"  
Kisame chuckled, having no more room to grin. "Yes, I remember you as well. Bloodline boy. You were that ridiculous man's student. But I have no business with you all today. I'm here on a search mission. And by the looks of things, we're after the same targets.  
Sakura seemed confused "Wait, we're after the same targets?"  
"Of course, since I'm sure you don't want to assist me in their capture, I am only here to warn you all. Do not mess with Akatsuki's affairs. We don't have time for childish hide-and-seek. Should any one of you get in my way, I will murder you all."  
As if to accentuate his point, the blade of Tsukuru's hammer smashed into the ground, severed at its base. Tsukuru himself made no indicative of shock, only staring at the splintered remnants of what was once a weapon.  
Kisame heaved the sword none had seen him unsheathe over his back, smirking at the dumbfounded looks upon the shinobi's faces.  
"Child's play." He murmured, and was gone in an instant.

They were at a loss for words. The wind, gentle and stagnant on that particular night suddenly felt as if it howled with unparalleled ferocity. Shikamaru slumped against the tree, looking shocked out of all cohesive sound.  
It was Chouji who broke the mold of silence, only then realizing that in his surprise, he had crumbled the chips in his food bag within his impressive grip.  
"So he's looking for Itachi?"  
"Which means something isn't right." Neji finished, returning to his poised composure. "They were a team, and both of them should be in possession of Naruto."  
Sakura pulled back strands of hair from her sweaty forehead, surprised at how the disparity of the situation weighed thick on her conscience. Kisame seemed stronger than normal, to a frightening degree.  
"So…" she began, "you think that Itachi defected somehow?"  
"Maybe. But why? And why take Naruto, if he's not a part of Akatsuki?"  
"Maybe it's a trap." Sai quipped, spiraling the group into another convoluted train of thought.  
Shikamaru sighed loudly, sliding his body onto the rocky ground. "The more we think about this, the more troublesome it gets."

Sakura didn't want to admit that he was right. Turning away from the crowd to hide her frown, she wandered towards the edge of the clearing, overstepping the abandoned ruins of Tsukuru's axe. The mysterious ROOT ninja poised himself upon the branch of a tree, peering deeply into the black expanse of forest, as if to see movement.  
"I want to thank you for flushing Kisame out of the clearing like that. You saved us from what could have been a big crisis."  
Tsukuru said nothing, hardly acknowledging Sakura's presence. Mildly annoyed, she stepped closer to the tree, placing herself directly under the branch at which he sat.  
"You know you don't have to be up there all alone. You can join us if you want. It's a lot warmer over there and-"  
"You damn idiot."  
The cherry blossom blinked, taken aback at his words. It was the first thing she'd heard him speak, since he had mentioned his name to Tsunade back at the village. "Pardon me?"  
Tsukuru jumped from the branch, landing only inches from Sakura's face. His steely eyes were even more frigid with scorn, like the raging torrent of a tundra.  
"What the hell do you think this is, playtime? You're on a mission against some of the most powerful shinobi in the nation, and you want to sit around nonchalantly in front of a campfire? Had I not done anything, we would have had a casualty in the first night, and while I don't particularly care for your lives, it's your skills in this mission that I can't afford to lose."  
Rage bubbled up within the short fused kunoichi, her fingers digging sharply into her palms, "Why the fuck are you even here then? We're here to save a friend. A good friend. Someone near and dear to _all_ our hearts. You? You're just following this for your group's own personal gain, because I sincerely doubt Danzo would offer his services to us because of his _generousity_."  
"Lord Danzo's objectives are none of our concern. I am to see that Uzumaki is returned to the village, and Uchiha is apprehended properly. Whether or not you all live to help me is up to yourselves. I won't be playing hero any further."  
Quick as he'd come, Tsukuru regained his previous position upon the tree. Sakura stood, rooted in place, arms quivering with frustration. The trail of patience only carried the cherry blossom so far. She wheeled around to an unoccupied tree beside her, splitting the bark in two with a mighty roar. She didn't care that Tsukuru was directly beside her, and she hadn't even heard her friends' cries of surprise as the now demolished tree fell, sending a snap echoing through the forest.  
She'd never been so angry in her entire life.

The other men didn't bother to question why she had been muttering with a seething rage upon her return. It was easy enough to guess why, and the fury of Sakura Haruno was one they never wanted to envoke.  
Leaving her to her devices, Shikamaru pulled himself up from his resting position, letting his eyes watch the flames dance across the slowly shriveling firewood. He wasn't sure how, but it was at that moment that the dire situation came full circle in his mind.  
They truly were up the creek.  
"We should rest until morning. We've got to get up early to keep pursuit." He suggested. It was hardly a solution, but anything was better than watching the morale drop any further.  
No one had any qualms with that.

oooooooooooooooooo

"Itachi."  
"Yes?"  
"What do you think of me?"  
The crimson renegade lifted his head toward the younger speaker, the spit in which he roasted their dinner stilling movement.  
"What do you mean?"  
"I mean…do you think I'm stupid?"  
An obsidian brow quirked, genuine confusion flickered across a glossy, carmine surface.  
"Why would I?"  
"Well, I honestly don't think my friends consider me all that smart. Most of them usually think I'm just a moron and…I don't know…I just wanted to see what you felt."  
"This is an odd topic to bring up."  
Naruto smiled softly, though there was a somewhat melancholy thorn piercing a normally idealistic expression. The cheery child Itachi was used to hearing about disappeared with the last of his ninja life.  
"It's actually been bothering me for a while…"  
"Well, if it helps any, I don't."  
"I'm not stupid Itachi, I promise."  
He peered through the ebony curtain of fringe at his sullen charge, coming to his side quicker than Naruto could register. There was a tension that hung among them, though not an uncomfortable tension. It felt almost expectant.  
The eerie chorus of crickets over took their silence, accompanied only by the crackle of the fire at their feet.  
Comfortingly, Itachi slid his arm around the boy's shoulder, letting the blond head come to rest on his shoulder. He closed his eyes and moved no more, letting Naruto himself settle into the position.  
"Itachi…"  
Another troubled tone. Itachi gently let his palm rest on the apex of Naruto's head, tilting his head closer.  
"Yes?" He questioned, not unkindly.  
"Will you be weirded out if I said I loved you?"  
"I…"

For the first time in years, Itachi had been rendered speechless. He watched Naruto—who for reason of embarrassment or some other emotion, refused to look Itachi in the eye—still his movement, waiting for a response. The boy's fists clenched tightly, his body hunched in anticipation of stark rejection.  
But Itachi had no idea what to say.  
He had been horrible to the boy. The lingering sentiment of what he once was to Naruto would always remain, no matter how long it would take time to mend the wounds. The fear in a young boy's eyes as he looked upon him with terror…Itachi could never forget that.

Perhaps love was the answer to why he stayed. Why—even after all Itachi had put him through—he abandoned the one thing that kept him going, and rose him from a world of loneliness, into a world of hatred.  
Naruto had a new thing to keep him going.  
There was a fondness Itachi had for the sun-kissed boy that he could simply not explain. Something that ran deeper through his heart than any other.  
Was it love?  
Could he, in the short time he'd journeyed with the boy, have truly fallen for him?

"I'd never be weirded out Naruto."  
His words seemed to evoke a shivering sigh from the blond, stiffened joints relaxing near simultaneously. The strange emotional turbulence unnerved the Uchiha, who had long since boxed away his feelings.  
"It does confuse me though." He continued "I've done terrible things to you. I even forced myself on you. But you don't fear me. You don't even dislike me. Now you're telling me you love me?"  
"I can't explain it. You did scare me those nights…and I don't think I could ever see myself under you comfortably for some time, but I just…want to be around you. It's this autonomous feeling. Just earlier, the thought of coming back to the village, and never see you again…it felt awful. I never want it to happen. I never want to never see you again."  
"Well then Naruto, would it weird you out if I told you I loved you too?"  
The blond fox perked his head up, staring into his companion's eyes. For the first time since he'd met Itachi, there was a calm gentleness about them. A serene confirmation that the man truly meant what he said.  
Naruto snuggled in closer to the Uchiha, staring up into the blanket of stars strewn about above them.  
"Of course not."


End file.
